Desterrado
by InsanityInReverse
Summary: Him, living on the edge of the darkness, ruled by the desires that took everything from him. And her, exiled from her city, accused of an attempted murder she had no part in. It's a jewel that connects them, and perhaps it will be the thing that brings them together.
1. Prologue

**A/N **;; So, I gave my prologue a nice little makeover, because honestly, it really, really needed one.

I tried the style of writing I am using in one of my other on-going stories, though it's really only this one and one other one that I'm focusing on. I think I nailed it, but I've just started using it, so I'm still not sure.

A great load of thanks goes out to **NeonGreenSheep **for giving me the information she found about the period Okami takes place in. Without her, this story would still be in the planning stages and incredibly incorrect as for history.

**Update: **I removed the time and teleportation sections in chapters two and three. Reason being is that I found another story in another section that had parts that were a bit too similar to my own for my liking. This story is also older than mine. Therefore, to remove the risk of being accused of plagiarizing, those said sections have been removed. I might repost them sometime, rewritten of course, but for now, they're out.

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><p>The fox stood by himself on the slope of the mountain, half hidden in the shadows that the outcropping stones cast on him. A small wooden sign stood in front of him, the words "Welcome to Sei'an City!" scrawled across its surface in messy, childish writing. It looked weathered in a way that made it seem a part of the natural surroundings, as if it had grown up out of the earth and belonged there as much as any part of the mountain would.<p>

The scene was like a plein air painting, soft and impressionistic: the golden trail of stones, the dark grass, the mountains that dotted the background, and the midnight-blue sky still lingering with long, thin, pink-tinted clouds. On the other side of the mountains the sun was just finishing its descent towards the ocean. The day seemed to have paused to admire its perfection. Nothing moved. Stillness held the landscape enraptured.

Nothing gave away the thoughts that circled in the fox's head.

The path that led into the city was a mix of dirt and small pebbles with grass and weeds springing up from the ground. A thick gate stood at the entrance of the city, flanked by a wall surrounding the entire commoners' quarter, aging quickly, as the passage of time since its creation had not been kind to it.

A single vintage guard, well past his glory days, was parked in a strict stance in front of the gate. An old decaying wooden bucket had been abandoned near the bottom of the slope with a pale white rabbit sitting in it, watching her young ones play hide-and-seek among the tall grass.

The city was silent.

The empress of the city, Himiko, lay in her bed chamber, her hair spreading out around her head like a dark cloud. Her skin was the color of milk. Her soft pink lips lay partially open, breathing slowly.

She lay discarded like a life-size doll – torn up and cast aside, her brown eyes cloudy and near lifeless.

A large gash had been made across her shoulder, ripping into her kimono, leaving the soft fabric damp with blood.

Her hand hung over the edge of her bed, lightly touching the floor, stenciled with bloody fingerprints. The last words that had been spoken in the room was a whispering still hanging in the air: _"I hope you remember this, my queen..."_

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><p><strong>AN** ;; Tell me what you guys think?


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N **;; Not once in this chapter do I mention "the girl's" name. I just couldn't find a place where I could fit it in that it would flow nicely with the rest of the sentence/paragraph/whatever. I didn't give her much of description, either. But that's just because I'm saving both of those for the next chapter.

Anyway, the people who review get... Triple Chocolate Cake. (Mmmm... Yum.)

So, tell me what you think?

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><p>She felt like she was drowning.<p>

She was falling, spiraling down into an endless eternal pit. She felt like she was being consumed, like she was struggling for air, struggling to escape. She tried to keep her knees from shaking, from collapsing onto the floor. She wanted to try to defend herself, but her voice seemed to have left her the moment she stepped into the throne room.

Her breaths were quick and ragged, and her heart was pounding inside her chest.

It was that choked feeling that one gets when tears fill their eyes, eventually spilling over their cheeks. She wanted the lump that had formed in her throat to leave her, because it reminded her of the accusation that had caused it to lodge itself there in the first place, as comfortable as could be.

It was all of those small, uncomfortable feelings, the stares, and the words that were being whispered that contributed to the one big feeling. She wouldn't be able to save herself. There was no way. It was the queen's word against her own.

She desperately looked around the room, looking for someone – anyone – that could speak for her, come to her defense. As her eyes met each of the people that she used to be able to call her friends, gazes were pointedly turned away. They avoided her stare, however brief it was. There wasn't a single drop of remorse, only anger and blatant disgust.

To them, it didn't matter what she had said or done in the past. All that mattered to them was the present, what she was being accused of.

Finally, she looked back up at the queen, who simply frowned at her.

"I..." she finally spoke through her lump, her voice shaky and barely above a whisper. "I... didn't do it..."

The fear of convicting herself controlled her actions. Whatever she did she had to think of consequences and weigh the options. If she performed even one wrong move, it would be over. The game would end. She would lose.

A barrage of murmurs broke out among the maidens. Pieces of "But I saw her..." and "She's lying..." and "The Queen said..." reached the girl's ears and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying her best to shut out the words.

The emperor, the large man that he was, took a wobbly step forward, the necklace of Demon Fangs he wore swinging with his movements. He looked her over, surveying her. "The Queen has told me that she so very clearly saw you," he said, his voice calm, but laced with an intense undertone of anger.

She met the emperor's eyes and tried to keep her feelings in check. She didn't want to sob. She didn't want to cry. If anything, she wanted to leave the room with the small bit of dignity that she had left.

He motioned towards the girl. "Guards."

Instantaneously, two guards stepped forward from their places in the foreground and seized both the girl's arms, making her let out a low breath of pain. She didn't bother to struggle, but still kept her gaze trained on the queen, who looked back at her unwaveringly.

"Q-Queen Himiko..." she stuttered. She was already beginning to break apart. She was losing. "I-I–"

The emperor quickly stopped her from speaking, interrupting her with, "You know what to do." He stepped back, coming to stand beside Himiko, while the queen's eyes lingered on the girl's face.

The guards began to nudge her back, and she unsuccessfully tried to pull back from their grasps, though it only proved to make them grip harder.

As one last attempt at keeping herself in the throne room, she tried to press her heels into the floor. "Queen..." she muttered, louder than she had before. She was still struggling to speak over her lump. "Please, listen to me..."

She was slipping.

Her eyes were watering.

"Walk!" one of the guards barked in her ear.

It was a single, fluent movement orchestrated by a pale, slender hand, and just for a small moment, the world seemed to stop moving. There was silence among the room. Himiko stood from her throne, the tail of her kimono dragging across the ground as she approached the girl, flanked by two handmaidens.

She made a small signal to the guards and the girl's arms were released.

The girl was, as she should be, tangled in her own emotions. She felt immensely relieved that her request to speak to the queen had gotten through, yet she felt so betrayed by the people that surrounded her. She felt grateful to the queen for stopping the guards, yet angry that her ruler would make the mistake of confusing her with someone else.

As the girl looked up into the deep brown eyes of the queen, she could feel a single tear spill over her eye and fall down her cheek to the bottom of her chin. Her shoulders relaxed ever-so-slightly and her breathing slowed down to quiet, deep breaths. "My queen..." she murmured.

"Why would you do such a thing?" Himiko asked, her voice soft and feathery compared to the harsh whispers that the girl had been hearing since entering the throne room. "Just answer me that."

"I didn't... I wouldn't..." the girl answered slowly. "I couldn't do that..."

The queen's expression was like a blank canvas, emotionless, unreadable. Her eyes closed for a moment, then opened again, revealing an emotion that she had never seen the queen wear before. She didn't know what it was, but it was new.

The next words that came out of the queen's mouth put the girl into a state of shock. Her eyes widened, her breathing seemed to stop completely, her knees shook and her hands clutched at her kimono.

She thought she had had a chance.

She thought she had made it through.

The queen raised a slender arm and pointed towards the door, giving an unvoiced command. "Banned," she said simply. "Leave this city, and do not return under any circumstances. You are no longer welcome here."

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><p><strong>AN **;; This was a bit rushed at the end, but it could have turned out worse, right?


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N **;; New chapter!

This chapter includes a few new things (in short, writing experiments) that I haven't tried before. The part that was the most different is the first section, which I tried to give a bit of backstory and explanation for how things are going to work in this story. The next chapter will also include a section like that, except it has to do with... **No spoilers! **:P

Thank you for all my amazing reviewers, who all get cake! - **LoverOfWhiteWolves** who reviewed the very first chapter (back when it wasn't renewed) but I never ended up thanking them. Sorry about that. Other thanks goes to **Daughter of Kabegami, Inoshikko **and **Spirits and Shadows. **

**Spirits and Shadows - **Thank you for the praise. It makes me happy. :3 (By the way, I just _love _your username, but I don't why. It just screams _epic_ to me. Haha.)

**Random Fact****: **The inspiration for this chapter was entirely provided by the Pirates of the Caribbean Theme Song.

People who review this chapter will get... Red Velvet Cupcakes.

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><p>Kazue looked at a shopkeeper.<p>

The man was yelling loudly, though as his gaze rested on her, his voice suddenly lowered to a whisper.

She looked at Mr. Flower.

He was walking through town, as colorful and calm as ever. He walked past her, not sparing her a glance.

She looked at Aiko.

The small girl spoke with her friends, Chiyo and Hanako. Kaede and a small boy, Haru, had also joined in on the collage of conversations.

Kazue, with her charcoal hair falling down her face in messy strands, sighed. Her eyes shifted to rest on the ground. She began to slowly twist and turn the string that held her newest treasure: a small crystal ball to her neck. She was standing just in front of the exit of the Commoner's Quarters, although she had been commanded to leave the city immediately, she couldn't help but want to linger a little longer.

She didn't bother to pay attention to Chiyo when the girl swept by her to speak with her mother. Instead, she tried to ignore the words that floated through the air – conversations in which every word that reached her ears somehow brought the lump in her throat to return and expand. She felt as though her entire neck braced itself to explode.

Tears pricked the edges of her eyes.

Today was just supposed to be another day in her daily routine. After a few commons words were exchanged among the maidens, they each dispersed to do their assigned duty, whatever it was that day. Kazue didn't receive any different commands; rather, she was to stick to the one job she had been given from the first day she had moved into the palace:

Care for the queen and her most sacred item: the crystal ball.

The crystal ball was a magical item that shone even when light was nowhere to be seen, and it drove those who gazed upon it to either lust for its power or stare in amazement at its size and shape. It was cherished among the inhabitants of Sei'an City. Since it had been a gift from the gods themselves, they considered it a valuable treasure to only be used by descendants of said gods, namely Queen Himiko.

Kazue remembered the glazed look in the queen's eyes when she had been first called into the throne room, when everybody stared and whispers instantly rose from the mouths of her fellow handmaidens. It wasn't something she wanted to see again; the accusing, though almost lifeless eyes that had pinned her gaze instantly.

Never before had she been bothered by depressing things. She always found the bright side of it all – the hidden reasons to smile amongst the darkest times. However, her way of thinking had backfired on her the moment she entered the room. Suddenly, when the accusation was laid upon her, there was no room in her mind to smile. Shock and disbelief flooded her mind.

Her friends had turned on her, whispering and glaring at her. All her life she had always had someone to talk to, someone to spend time with.

Due to her accusation Kazue was alone. She no longer had anyone to turn to when she needed advice or support. She had no one to wish a goodnight to whenever it was time to sleep – someone to lay awake from and stare at the ceiling to the sound of their gentle breathing.

Now she had no one.

"Never say never," she would always tell the other girls when they felt down.

This time, her own philosophy failed to comfort her, because she had no one to help prove it to her.

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><p>Ren snorted. He narrowed his crimson eyes at the girl standing in front of the exit of Sei'an City, who was consistently switching between holding her hands together and wringing them other one another. Her expression was a mix of loss and confusion and longing as her gaze drifted over each of the humans that passed by her.<p>

He was thankful that his task had finally passed. It allowed him a bit of relaxation without worrying that his crystal was in the hands of a dangerous person (not that he would have any problem overcoming them if they tried to put up a fight). Although he would forever keep his opinion to himself, he sometimes wished that the jewel never existed, never plagued him with the duty of always having to watch over it.

He wished he had never been one of Inari's**(I)** messenger kitsune.**(II)**

He didn't like being depended on, despite the praise he had received when he delivered messages to the mortal world. It tired him, stressed him out and had made him feel as if the 'praise' he gained from it all wasn't worth the obstacles that had always stood in his way. He was sick of being chased down, the odd time he was seen, anyway, and he was sick of being asked to do things just because he was more powerful than average kitsune.

He had even come to consider mortals lazy, in which they asked their gods to do their work because they couldn't do it themselves.

And that's why, shortly after he had earned his third tail, he had fled from the domain of Inari, fled to the mortal world and stayed there. His crystalline white fur had darkened over time, eventually shifting into the dark brown – nearly black – color that it was today. The only remains of his former color remained on the tips of his ears.

He let out a short grunt as he eyed the people who spoke with one another all throughout the area below. Their voices came to form a big mesh of mixed conversations – and all about things he didn't care about.

The girl, he noticed, yearned to join in the college of conversations. She longed to have her voice be heard within the crowd. But yet she refused to say a word. She was alone and she hated it.

He had always been alone, always wanting to live without anyone else, because he lacked any kind of partner. When he was still a messenger fox, he had meant to be grouped in with two other kitsune, Airi and Jirou, but due to the fact that he never got along well with Airi, he failed to agree to this. He didn't mind that he was on his own, that the most communication he held with the other kitsune were a few spoken words of encouragement or anger, or perhaps a reminder of a duty that had to be performed.

He was used to be isolated – to having to take care of himself instead of looking out for someone else, or having someone else look out for him.

And he preferred it this way.

Teamwork would only add weight to his shoulders. With such an advantage came the cost of having to look out for skins other than his own. He had never felt the need to have company, nor was he ever jealous of the other kitsune, or anybody, for that matter. He didn't want to do anything for someone else, or risk his life to save them if required.

He didn't want anyone.

He didn't need anyone.

There was him and only him.

The fox snorted again before his eyes wandering over the Commoner's Quarters. When they once again fell upon the figure of the girl, standing in the same spot she had been in for almost an hour, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes at the sight of her depressed countenance. Her chocolate brown eyes, wide as ever, faced the ground. Her hands played with the jewel that hung around her neck. He hummed in bewilderment, as well as annoyance. He knew very well why the girl was sad.

She had been ignored... again,

He knew that the sudden isolation would be hard for her to deal with, as he had observed her a few days before executing his task. She wasted her time smiling and not bothering to think about the future.

It seems the future hit her hard.

She was alone... like him, friendless. He felt a smidge of sympathy for her, since he knew that she wasn't used to such a lifestyle, but quickly crushed the emotion and resumed his watching.

Ren blinked when he finally saw her make her way out of the exit in a sluggish manner, slow and heavy, like she struggled to take each step. She disappeared behind the gate pillars, and the smallest of frowns crossed his mouth. He took another look below, not at all surprised when he saw that no one had bothered to follow her. Perhaps no one had noticed her departure, even. As the thought lingered in his mind, though, it wasn't that shocking, as all of the people thought of her as a traitor, like a nightmare that just wouldn't leave.

He stood up and careful slid off the side of the mountain. He had to follow her. He had to wait until she was alone.

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><p>Kazue left the voice-filled quarters behind and emerged onto the path that led out to Southern Ryoshima Coast. Her eyes searched for a fisherman as she slowly made her way down the golden stone path. She kept her ears open for his voice, as he would always call to her when he saw her – anything to help pinpoint where he was. She hoped for a second that he hadn't gone on another fishing trip.<p>

The sound of his familiar yell expanded outward across the hollow air. Kazue's gaze shifted around for the source. There was an intersection not too far down, where the sounds that followed seemed to come from. She hummed with recognition and approached the area.

As she walked further down and around the corner, Shin's figure came into view. He sat on the ground with his back against the stone. His short hair stuck to his face. His arms held his knees close to his chest and he stared out towards the ocean with a glare planted firmly on his face. His posture leaked with attention – so much that Kazue had to steel herself to speak to him. She walked closer until Shin snapped out of whatever trance he had been in. His eyes drifted to her, in which a suspicious stare covered the usual friendly, welcoming gaze he usually held.

Kazue frowned.

"Hey... Shin," she said, her voice a bit shaky.

She felt that he probably would have lectured her then and there and told her whatever he wanted to say to her – about the accusations that were laid against her. But, his eyes seemed to soften slightly as he looked over her, and he turned towards her a bit more.

"So... what happened?" was all he could say. His tone wasn't 'angry' or 'disappointed' or 'annoyed.' It was emotionless, as if open to any emotion she needed it to be.

Kazue turned away. Not once did anyone ask her that question since the accusation, but it didn't surprise her that Shin, of all people, was the one who had bothered to ask her. He had done similar things before – knowing how far to push her and what to ask.

She didn't answer because she didn't know what to say. She didn't want to sound pitiful or weak, but she knew she couldn't hold it in forever.

"You can tell me, you know."

Kazue blinked. She turned to eye Shin and watched as his gaze narrowed as he stared up at her, his arms crossed over his chest. He already knew what had happened, news had spread incredibly fast. She confirmed it with a weary nod and a mumble of his name as she came to sit down on the wall beside him, though there was a bit of space between them.

He sighed and moved closer to her. He look at her; instead, he kept his eyes directed towards the ocean ahead.

"Listen..." he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I know what you went through in there. Yes, they accused you, but... it doesn't mean you did anything... feeling bad about yourself isn't going to make them change their minds."

Kazue turned her head away and took his words into mind. She had given advice of similar qualities before, but the sole fact that it came from Shin made it feel different.

Her fingers began to subconsciously play with the string that hung around her neck.

"I know what it feels like to be accused of something you know you didn't do..." he added. "You know that. I know what it feels like to feel like you don't have anybody to turn to because they all turned on you." His eyes held hers. "You were the one that accepted me after they cast me away." A smile moved like a ghost across his face. "Don't you remember?"

"I just..." she started. Her voice hinted at fresh tears, although she tried her best to hold them in. "I feel so alone, Shin... I don't want to be alone. I don't want to leave here."

Shin turned away again, his mouth closed in a firm line.

"What if... You could live with me for a while...?"

As if frantically correcting a phrase that would cause worldwide mayhem if uttered, Shin quickly slapped his hand over his mouth.

He shouldn't have said that.

_He shouldn't have said that. _

He almost reluctantly turned back to Kazue, though he didn't grimace at her expression, as he thought he would. Her face had the remains of a small smile dripping away, but there was no realization, no hope, no thankfulness.

"Shin... no. You don't have to do that."

He nodded slowly. "I thought you would accept," he said.

"You have enough trouble providing for yourself."

Shin hummed, but didn't say anything.

Then he turned to her and opened his mouth. Kazue cocked a brow, and he quickly said, "Just one day. One day. Let me help you this time."

She reached out and placed her hand on his, then brought him into a gentle hug. "Thank you so much, Shin."

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><p>Ren grimaced as he watched the girl and her friend embrace near the small watering hole. She smiled as she pulled away from him and he grinned back at her. Drying tear marks lined her face, and he could only guess what she had been crying about this time.<p>

He pulled back behind the stone wall.

"Shin, are you sure this is okay?" her voice reached his ears and he idly realized that it was the first time he had heard it. It was soft.

He didn't hear the boy's answer, but there was a short silence before an "Okay" sprang into the air, following by a gentle giggle.

His ears perked up.

Another first.

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><p><strong>(I) <strong>Inari: God of fertility, rice, agriculture, foxes and industry.

**(II) **Kitsune: Japanese word for foxes. Second note, messenger foxes are servants of Inari and are always pure white, signifying their loyalty to her.

**A/N **;; So, the names are revealed now, huh? You like 'em? I do.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N **;; I have to say that this chapter jumps around _a lot_. In and out, in and out, in and out... You get it.

Also, in this chapter, _plot_ happens.

Thanks to **TheManWithBacon, Daughter of Kabegami, **and **BoudicaFlamespirit **for the reviews. Extra thanks goes to **BoudicaFlamespirit. **And extra special thanks goes to **Daughter of Kabegami**. They know what they did.

**BoudicaFlamespirit** - Ha. Your review made me laugh. But as for your question, you can ponder that all on your own.

People who review the next chapter will get... Cookies, because I can't think of anything else right now.

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><p>After Shin and Kazue had left their spot – as they called it – and returned to the shore, the two humans quickly made their way through the sea of sand that covered the ground. It was still moderately early in the day, and the sun was only inches away from the horizon, bundles of clouds slowly making their way across the blue sky.<p>

Shin's home – or hut, as he preferred to call it – was only about a ten minute walk from the city when they considered the speed they were traveling at. The two humans tried to cover themselves behind the boulders that were just tall enough for them to duck behind to make sure Kazue wasn't seen by too many people. Shin frowned as he thought about this. According to Kazue, the news had spread nearly instantly and if she was seen, she was sure to be glared and admonished for her supposed actions.

His goal was to get to his hut, have Kazue spend a night there, and then move on. He didn't want to dwell on convincing her to stay near Southern Ryoshima Coast, as he knew she had already set her mind on leaving. She probably wanted to find a place where her accusations didn't stand, where she was like a new person. He understood her reasoning, though he found no reason to linger on the past, and instead look towards the future.

"Is that it, Shin?"

Kazue's voice broke Shin from his thoughts. He looked forward, seeing his hut in the distance. He supposed it could be considered shabby and ratty, but it was the place he had built himself and called home.

He looked towards Kazue. "So, what do you think?"

Her bright gaze was transfixed on him in the form of a warm and slightly questioning glance; the fact that she had never been or even seen his home obviously painted on her face. She didn't say anything, and he shifted slightly beneath her stare.

He blinked when Kazue let out a small giggle and moved forward. She shot one last look at his hut before she craned her neck to face him, a grin slowly spreading across her face.

"Well, are you ready? Come on."

With that, she began to walk toward the hut and left Shin to question her reaction. He looked down with slight uneasiness, almost nervous. He hadn't before cared about the looks of his home, nor what people thought of it. Now, however, Kazue's reaction unnerved him and he couldn't help feeling a smidge of disappointment that he couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Come on!"

Kazue's voice called out for him again. She stood in front of the hut, her small figure partially hidden by a boulder that stood near the hut.

Shin narrowed his eyes and attempted to clear his head. He took a single deep breath before he began to walk toward her.

"I really like it, Shin!" Kazue said once he was close enough to hear, her hand placed on a part of the outside wall.

He smiled in disbelief.

Kazue walked into the entrance of the hut.

And, almost reluctantly, Shin followed.

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><p>Shin's worries were proven irrelevant.<p>

Kazue broke into a huge grin as she entered the hut. She looked to the top of the hut in awe, her eyes wide. "I've never seen anything like this, Shin!" she said. "You built this on your own, right? It's good!"

He closed his eyes as he entered and a cool air covered his skin as he left the warmth of the sun. A faint scent of fish entered his nose. He sniffed, and his muscles eased at the scent he had gotten so used to. He opened his eyes. Kazue's familiar laughter echoed throughout the small space. Soon, his vision adjusted to the darkened area.

Shin raised a thin eyebrow.

She floated around the hut, her crystal bouncing against her chest with each step she took. Each time she saw something, she bent down to examine it and then very carefully put it down as it was. After a few minutes, she eventually landed back in front of him.

He didn't know whether to smile or frown.

He let out a light sigh when Kazue tugged on his hand, gently reminding him of her existence. "Shin?"

Shin was too surprised by her reaction to his home that he didn't even notice Kazue speak. He felt relieved that she would be able to stay in his hut without feeling uncomfortable.

"How long have you lived here, Shin?" Kazue's voice reached his ears again.

"From before I met you..." he answered absently.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake and Shin heard the rattling of vases and pots, then the sounds of shattering clay. Kazue yelped and grabbed onto his arm, while he placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

Once it stopped, only mere moments after it started, Shin removed Kazue from his arm and stepped outside.

"Great Gods..." he muttered.

From behind him, he heard Kazue's voice, still shaky. "What is it?"

He retreated back inside and tried to put on his brightest smile. "It's nothing, Kazue. They're just testing some new fireworks. Don't worry about it."

Even Kazue raised a brow at that.

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><p>Ren's goals were simple: Wait until that girl and her friend were asleep, carry out his plan to lure the girl out, then take back what was rightfully his. He didn't want to make himself look generous or caring when he was carrying out his plan, when he knew that such an attitude would eventually mold him into a soft and sensitive individual – one that would be easy to breakdown or manipulate. He was Ren, not a sap-trap in which anybody could take advantage of when they were unable to take care of themselves. He did what he wanted, and nothing else.<p>

He had seen hurt all over the world – pain, misery, anguish, regret, bereavements; everything anybody could imagine. He was born into being a messenger fox, as it was said that that was his destiny. He had spent over two-hundred years serving Inari. He had followed the path that was supposedly set out for him for over three centuries. Maybe, as he watched nature befriend humanity and humanity become wiser, he had seen the downfalls of it all. War. Crime. Power. Envy.

Ren knew that gods could die. That was something most people didn't understand. Ren was aware of it. He had always been.

"Ren..."

One of the fox's five tails twitched.

"Ren..."

He tried to ignore the figure beside him, Kouki – though he preferred to call him Annoyance.

"Ren... Ren... Ren... Ren... _**REN!**_"

A low growl sounded from the throat of the fox, alerting the demon beside him, Kouki, that he had acknowledged his persistent attempts to grab his attention. But still, the fox did not look at him, still focused on the small hut below the outcrop of rock he was laying on.

"Ren? Hey... erm... Ren? You listening to me?"

Kouki blinked, his caramel hair falling into his eyes as he cocked his head, waiting for an answer. He was a demon, but perhaps the closest thing that could be related to a human in terms of appearance. The only thing that separated him from the image of a human were his hands and feet, which curled and had bring blue claws where there would be nails.

Ren finally turned towards him, though his crimson eyes were narrowed and murderous. He had shifted back into his fox form to conserve some of his energy. "This better be _important,_" he snarled.

Kouki nodded quickly and pointed towards the sky.

Ren's eyes widened as he took in the image of the swirling dust cloud that had gathered above Southern Ryoshima Coast. He paused before saying, "How long has that been there?"

Kouki gave a light shrug. "A couple of minutes, I think."

The fox's eyes went narrowed again. "'A couple of minutes'?" He snarled again and revealed sharp fangs. "Why didn't you tell me then?"

Kouki pulled back. His green eyes were wide. "I tried..."

When Ren didn't say anything, Kouki's gaze went back towards the event in the sky, and asked, "Does it mean anything?"

"There's a line between the demon world and the human world," Ren began. "When one wishes to cross over, there are certain requirements that must be fulfilled and," he motioned towards the cloud, "that's usually the result, although it's usually much smaller and doesn't last more than a second. The portal size relates to how many demons are using the portal and how long it needs to stay open. If it's this big..."

He didn't bother to finish.

He didn't need to.

* * *

><p>In a darkened room packed with computer consoles, countless Red Imps were scuttling about on every available surface. Their eyes reflected the scrolling lines of computer code. The only unique being in the room was a single red-haired human, though even he was strange, as he had eight different fox tails sprouting out his backside. He stood close to a hologram projector, which was already projecting the likeness of an equally enigmatic being.<p>

"When will the portal stabilize?" demanded the eight-tailed human. "We're wasting precious time here!"

"Approximately two days, Sire," hissed the opposite creature with stringy yellow hair and wide, swiveling eyes, as it paced before its side of the hologram. "The smaller demons are working as fast as they can, and there are no interferences from the humans."

"I was told that it will open up over the water."

"Indeed they shall," nodded the spider-like being, as it tapped several keys on a computer console with its large, scarlet claws, "and that location was for the best, really."

"Elaborate."

"Simply put, any portals put high over water will be considerably stable, as they have almost no interference from humans, which increases our chances of success."

"Very well, then. Make sure that we can mobilize as soon as possible."

With that, the hologram faded into nothingness.

* * *

><p>Those who had gathered near on the shore of Southern Ryoshima Coast were scattered when the swirling dust cloud exploded with dazzling flashes of blinding white light. Some people found themselves trying in vain to rid their vision of the explosions' burning afterimages, while others cried out in alarm as wide columns of light lanced into the water from the storm centers.<p>

Then, almost as abruptly as they had begun, the distortions vanished. The once-dark skies were rendered cloudless and blue once again, and witnesses would later wonder if they had been hallucinating the whole thing. However, a lingering scent provided them with ample conviction as to the reality of the strange incident.

* * *

><p><strong>AN **;; _PLOT!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!_

That is all.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N **;; Finally! A new chapter! Sorry that this took so long to get out, but I had to remove a lot of filler. (The original length of this chapter was sixteen pages. Now it's almost ten.) Plus, I'm feeling a bit sick, so I couldn't really focus to get this chapter rewritten and such. :'(

The next chapter is almost done been written - I managed to write chapter five before I started to write chapter four, it's funny how things work out that way - and it should be out... two days tops, though I'm hoping for tomorrow.

People who review this chapter get... Blueberry Cake.

Anyway, thanks goes out to **Spirits and Shadows, NeonGreenSheep, Daughter of Kabegami, **and **BoudicaFlamespirit **for reviewing the last chapter.

**Spirits and Shadows **- O.O MONTY PYTHON REFERENCE! Other than that, I don't know what to say. Your reviews are definitely the most randoms reviews I have _ever _received. They always make me smile. ;)

* * *

><p>"...You want to do... what?"<p>

Kouki gulped and glanced towards Ren, who laid beside him. His nervous gaze bore into the serious one of Ren, as the fox's eyes lazily drifted in between the hut and his companion. He had just finished explaining what exactly his plan was to Kouki.

Kouki's emerald-tinted eyes remained widened, a look that was uncommonly seen on the demon's face. He had indeed noticed the malice that had passed through Ren's expression each time the girl was mentioned, and he did know what Ren was willing to do to get what he wanted, but he didn't believe that the kitsune would go _that _far with an innocent human.

Ren hummed in recognition before he brought his gaze back to rest on the hut that laid in the distance. He didn't think anything of his companion's opinions on his plan, nor did he think that his plan was unsuitable. Instead, he impatiently waited for the time that the two humans would fall into sleep.

"Well..." Kouki said. "...I suppose it wouldn't be unreasonable if she had intentionally stolen your jewel, but... she didn't. I don't see what harm could come from you just asking her for it. I mean, she seems okay. I don't think she would have any lingering doubts about giving it back."

Ren sighed and narrowed his eyes.

Kouki grimaced and turned away from the fox, silencing his voice.

* * *

><p>Shin nodded idly as he listened to Kazue recount memories from her days at the palace. She was sitting beside him, hands on her knees, smiling widely as she told him about the time she and a fellow handmaiden – Haruka – had once switched all the kimonos and "a small bit of mayhem" had broken out, as Kazue described it. Shin found the memories pointless to himself, but he stayed silent and laughed when she did, listening intently.<p>

He looked away for a moment, but when a small sniff sounded from his side, he snapped back to Kazue, who quickly wiped her eyes with her arm as she noticed him looking at her. His eyes widened slightly, but a small smile crossed his face, and he brought his hand up to cover her shoulder.

"It's okay," he muttered, ignoring the urge to scold her for thinking of the past when she knew it would only hurt her.

She looked up at him, eyes slightly red, and she smiled before she raised her own hand to rest it on top of his.

"Hey, Shin! Shin?"

Kazue froze. It was a voice she didn't recognize. Who was it? A friend of Shin's? She turned to look at Shin, who grimaced with recognition when the figure of a heavy-set fisherman appeared in the opening of the hut. She hoped it was someone who didn't know of her banishment from Sei'an City.

Unfortunately, it wasn't.

When the man caught sight of the girl that sat beside Shin, he dropped the wooden fishing pole that he had been holding and simply stared at her, his lip hanging slightly-ajar. He stepped back.

"You're Ka..." he stumbled over her name. "Ka... Kazue!"

Shin immediately stood up and stepped towards the man, answering all of his questions in harsh whispers, before he growled and grabbed the older man's wrist, silencing anymore words the man had to say. Shin turned back towards Kazue, extended a hand to her, pulled her up, saying nothing to the fisherman as he simply stood beside her. Kazue did nothing and only hoped that it would perhaps help the fisherman understand the situation.

"I-It's nice to meet your acquaintance, Kazue," the man said, offering her a shaky smile. "My name is Kenta."

Kazue exchanged a look with Shin, who motioned to the man. She returned her attention to said fisherman and feebly raised her hand.

"From what Shin has told me," Kenta said, "you're staying here for the night?"

Kazue hesitated. Then, she nodded.

Kenta laughed, not seeming as nervous as he had been. "I guess that's why Shin seems so riled up. He's worried about people seeing you. Everyone already knows about your banishment – it spread pretty fast – but I think I'm the only one who has seen you in person." He turned his eyes to Shin. "I just came here to ask you about the fishing trip tomorrow. I wanted to know if you're still coming with us."

Shin shook his head. "Next time."

"That's what you said last time."

Shin narrowed his eyes, but didn't say anything.

Kenta took the hint and took his leave, stepping out of the opening, picking up his dropped fishing pole on his way. He said his goodbyes and walked back into the night, his figure disappearing behind a boulder before Kazue could say anything.

* * *

><p>"Ren?"<p>

The fox snapped towards his companion, a low growl escaping from his lips. "What is it?"

"Do you really know what you're doing?"

A brief questioning gaze flashed through Ren's eyes before he turned his gaze back towards the hut that laid in the distance. "Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Are you positively sure?"

"Yes."

"As in 'sure-sure-sure-sure-sure-sure-sure'?"

"Yes."

"As in 'oh-my-Amaterasu-I'm-so-sure-I-make-Surely-Sure-Sure-look-unsure'?"

"_Yes."_

"As in–"

Ren shot a murderous glare towards Kouki. _"Yes!"_

Kouki grimaced and shifted away from the fox. He was glad that Ren's voice couldn't be understood by humans, as it had echoed through the air, and had managed to reach a volume that made his ears ring.

The demon was still trying to convince Ren out of his plan – or at least annoy him until he reconsidered. He knew he wouldn't be able to do that much, as even though Ren wasn't at his full strength, Kouki still knew he stood no chance against the kitsune if he so chose to seriously attack him.

Kouki forced himself to relax. He kept his emerald-tinted eyes away from Ren and instead focused them on the hut, watching for movement.

He was silent.

Then:

"So... are you absolutely sure what you're doing?"

Kouki jumped back, nearly falling off of the outcrop as he felt the sleeve of his red one-piece begin to burn. He yelped and hurriedly began to smut the fire, while Ren stared at him, a smirk curving his lips.

Kouki gazed back at Ren with bewildered eyes. "You burned me!" he yelled, already feeling the uncomfortable process of his skin beginning to heal itself. He let out an inward breath, feeling considerably lucky that Ren didn't do anything more than he did. When he looked back to his wound, he saw that it had already disappeared, a new layer of skin having replaced what had been burned.

Ren turned away from Kouki, his breaths now coming in a bit quicker.

Kouki's expression sobered instantly. "You've been burning a lot of energy these past few days, Ren; a lot of unnecessary energy," he said, frowning at the fox beside him. Ren mirrored his expression as he looked between the hut and Kouki. "But you really don't have to go this far. It's only because you want to hurt her and that you're so weak right now."

The fox scoffed. "It doesn't matter. I'll be getting it back soon."

"I still don't understand why you just couldn't have asked her for it..."

"_I know what I'm doing!" _Ren snarled.

Kouki shut his mouth and said nothing else.

Ren swallowed hard, his crimson eyes dull. He jumped up as he felt, through sharpened senses, the second of the two humans drift into sleep. The corners of his frown began to curve upward. "There, see?" He pointed to the hut, though Kouki only arched his eyebrows, confused. Ren let out a soft sigh and leapt down from the outcrop, landing soundlessly on the sand below, leaving Kouki to gaze at him from above.

Ren said nothing as he stared up at Kouki, the smirk having returned to his face. He began to run towards the hut.

"Ren!"

Ren ignored him. He entered the mist, the hut steadily approaching in his sight. He took in deep, damp breaths as he went over his plan in his head and his smirk grew wider – if that was even possible. He stopped beside the entrance of the hut, and purposely kept himself out of the humans' eyesight, in the case that one of them would wake up before he could execute his plan.

Kouki heaved for air as he caught up to Ren. As well as being not a strong fighter, anyone could confirm that he wasn't very athletic, either. He stopped at Ren's side, though the fox showed no interest towards the state his companion was in as he trailed his dimmed eyes over the inside of the hut, noting that the girl was closer to the entrance, while her friend laid across from her.

Ren closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, beginning the quick, painless process of shifting into his human form. Well, it _would_ have been painless if he had been at his full strength. Instead, pain burned through his entire body, and he quickly felt his knees begin to buckle. A single drop of blood escaped from his nose and ran down his chiseled face. He stuck out a hand and placed it on the hut to steady himself.

"Are you okay, Ren?" Kouki asked from beside him.

"Do I _look_ okay?" he snapped in between his panting.

Kouki hesitated. "...I'll take that as a 'no'."

Ren sighed and turned his gaze back to the ground, shutting his eyes, making himself as calm as possible. He shut out all things that annoyed him – namely Kouki – and all things that he could possibly be worried about. He emptied his mind and attempted to move the rest of his remaining energy into his head. He knew he wasn't any kind of fortune teller. He couldn't tell anyone the future or the past. His mental energy wasn't even as powerful as most kitsune his age, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to create anything worthwhile, yet he also knew that he had to carry out the final part of his plan.

He took in a deep breath, and then slowly let it out.

Focus.

Create.

Expand.

And then, wait.

* * *

><p><em>Scratch, scratch.<em>

Kazue stirred. "Mmm..."

_Scratch, scratch. _

She turned over. "Mmm-Mmm..."

_Scratch, scratch. _

She quietly 'shh'ed whatever it was that was making the noise that tried to dig her head more into her kimono.

_Scratch, scratch. _

It sounded closer now.

Finally giving up the opportunity to drift back into sleep with a mental sigh, Kazue's eyes slowly fluttered open and she raised a hand to cover her mouth as she yawned. She sat up and gently rubbed her eyes before turning her gaze towards the opening of the hut, tiredly searching for the thing that had been making the sound that woke her up. She blinked as she saw nothing.

_Scratch, scratch._

There it is again, she thought, leaning more towards the opening. However, she still saw nothing.

Feeling more than a bit confused, Kazue stood up from her place on the floor and stuck her head out the opening, feeling a rather sudden sense of comfort as the smell of salty ocean air filled her nostrils. She stepped out onto the ground and giggled as she felt the soft, flawless sand tickle her feet. She crouched down and grabbed a fistful in her head, letting the grains fall between her fingers. It was surprisingly warm.

As Kazue looked around, she noticed that boulders of all shapes and sizes covered the sandy ground. Well, that is, until the sand cut off and the ground was then covered in thin blades of emerald green grass, where tall trees sprouted and towered above her. There was allowed little moonlight through the canopies of the trees, which gave the area a certain semblance and seclusion. A single statue stood in the distance, covered with moss and nearly completely concealed away behind a collage of green hues.

_Scratch, scratch._

Kazue began to walk down the sand that went further down the shore, water brushing against her feet as she did so. She admired the sights, staring up at the clouds that slowly drifted across the dark sky, though she soon stopped short as she noticed a small kitten, limping, and scratching against one of the boulders. As it noticed her approaching, it meowed quietly and began to limp away, disappearing behind a boulder.

"Hey... wait!" She held out her hand as she rushed after the feline.

As the girl made her way towards the boulder, Kazue couldn't help but stop in place and tilt her brows. A feeling of worry mixed in with her auburn irises as she craned her neck to gaze back at the hut. She had left Shin alone on many instances to retreat back to the palace, and she had never had a problem with doing so because it was never for a lengthy period of time.

Now, however, even though she knew she wouldn't be gone for more than a few minutes, she still felt uneasy about leaving him alone. She felt as though something wasn't right. However, she soon shook that feeling away, though, as as she dismissed the uneasiness to her own imagination.

When she turned the corner of the boulder, she noticed a smooth stone pathway that trailed up a small slope. Near the top, her eyes caught the small orange and white figure of the kitten, still limping, taking slow, careful steps. Even in the distance, she could still hear the cat's claws scrapping against the stone.

Kazue took her first step onto the stone pathway, inwardly flinching as a swift feeling of ice racked her body, making each and every one of her individual hairs stand up on end. If the sand felt like a warm summer's day, the stone path felt like a sunless winter day in Kamui.

A quiet meow and the sound of scratching once again reached her ears.

She sped up her movement.

By the time she reached the top of the trail, the kitten had disappeared, leaving nothing behind but the scratch marks it had made dragging itself up there. Kazue quickly scanned the area, but found no other traces that the cat had been there at all. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she stared down at the ground, trying to make sense of something that didn't make sense.

A glimmer in her peripheral vision caught her eye and she turned her attention toward a small pond. She looked towards the tip of the pond and nearly froze. In the bottom of the water, she could see a reflected image of herself, yet it was so clear, like a mirror, even beneath the pond's bubbling surface. She brought her up hands to ruffle her tangled hair, and she couldn't help but let a frown cross her face at her image.

Leaning a bit closer to the water, she noticed that the jewel held around her neck was shining against her chest. The inside of it swirled with a collage of colors, like an aura. It almost appeared as though a whole universe of simply pure light thrived in the core of the small jewel.

She stared at the jewel with widened eyes and watched its reflected illuminate the bottom of the pond. "Beautiful..." she muttered, rolling it around in her hands. It emitted a slight warmth into her palms.

"Yes... it is quite a sight, isn't it?"

Kazue quickly escaped her trance-like state and turned in the direction from which she heard the voice sound. Her eyes found the figure of a startlingly handsome boy, arms crossed over his chest and his bright crimson eyes boring into her own chocolate ones. His expression was set into a firm glare, and Kazue took a step back, showing him her own shaky smile.

"I-It is," she stuttered.

"Do you know what it is?" The boy took a step forward.

"No..." She took another step back, feeling the smooth stone of the wall behind her brush against the back of her fingertips.

He hummed a single note. "Then you don't know what to do with it, either."

"What does that–"

The girl was cut off as a high-pitched siren-like feminine voice rang through the area, seemingly coming from nowhere, but also everywhere. Kazue's hands flew up to cover her ears, though the voice still entered her ears so clearly. It said only one word – a name – and yet the boy across from her almost instantly crumpled onto the ground, clutching his head and muttering words that Kazue didn't understand. His head bowed down to the ground and she noticed that his body was shaking slightly, but if out of pain or fear, she didn't know.

The area around them began to distort, almost looking sickly in the way it moved, and a bright flash of light enveloped the area, casting it in pure, white light. Kazue's eyes shut instinctively, but she could still see the light behind her eyelids. After a few moments, it faded and Kazue slowly opened her eyes, trying to blink away the aftereffects the light had left on her. She looked around nervously, eyes widening as she noticed everything around her had changed. The pond that had stood beside her was now just a shallow puddle. The smooth stone path she had used to follow the kitten was now rocky and rough ground, pebbles littering its surface. The beautiful, wide-open scenery she had admired was now just damp, closed in cave walls, with large stalactites dripping water where the clouds had once been.

A low growl sounded from the boy, and Kazue's gaze went to him. He glared up at her, his eyes dull and distant, almost like he didn't really see her. "What did you do?" he demanded, slowly beginning to push himself off the ground. Two equal drops of blood fell from either one of his nostrils, ran over his lips, and off the bottom of his chin, landing on the ground without a sound. He didn't seem to notice as another growl came from his throat, showing off an array of snow-white teeth, looking for an answer she couldn't give him.

"I-I didn't... do it... I didn't do anything..." With her skin barely brushing against the rough stone wall, Kazue felt the feeling of deja vu wash over her like a tidal wave. The same distant eyes staring at her, being blamed for something she didn't do...

She didn't have much time to think about it, though, as Kazue felt her back hit something hard – the wall, she idly realized – and a hand close tightly around her throat. The boy was standing directly in front of her now – looming over her – his quick-paced, hot breath fanning over her face, his obsidian hair sticking to his forehead. She struggled and swatted against his hold, but he didn't seem to be affected.

Her hands swung up to his wrist, shaking and squeezing at it as hard as she could, hoping to Amaterasu that she would be able to loosen his grip. She began to kick at his ankles, desperately looking for someplace – anywhere – where he was vulnerable.

The feeling that she felt in the throne room returned to her once again. If she made one wrong move, it would be over, and she would lose the game.

Except there was one difference this time.

There were no wrong moves.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ren."<em>

He tightened the grip he held on the girl's throat, watching as the color slowly drained out of her face.

"_Ren."_

_Her_ voice rang in his head again, and he shook his head as he tried to remove the ringing from his ears. He was sure he was imagining it – or that girl must have done _something_. There was no way he was actually hearing her voice. He had served all connections with her so many years ago.

It was _impossible._

She _couldn't_ do that.

The girl's struggles against his hold were beginning to get weaker. A smirk formed and widened on his face. She would give up eventually and he would be able to take back what was rightfully his.

"_Ren!"_

Ren's hand fell back to his side, the girl falling onto her knees and onto the ground nearly instantly, while he stood, motionless for a moment, before it seemed like his consciousness was swiped out from under his feet. Blackness covered his vision and the last thing in his head was _her _voice, echoing through the recesses of his mind.

* * *

><p><strong>AN **;; No! _It's not possible!_


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N **;; Hey-oh! Look who updated their story! Okay, wow, it's been officially a whole two months since I put up a chapter for Desterrado, and I have to say that I've definitely missed this story. But it's been a really hectic time lately for me, and I haven't had a lot of time to write. But now I'm back!

I will never promise to update at a certain time again.

**And I have a question for all my readers:** If, and this is only if for now, I were to write full-chaptered stories for different characters that appear later in Desterrado, would you be interested in reading them? To give a bit of explanation, it would basically be the backstories and the events that led up to their future role in Desterrado. I thought it was a really great idea when I thought of it, but I'm feeling a little bit unsure now, so maybe you guys could leave your opinion in a review? It would be a great help!

People who review this chapter will get a piece of Strawberry Shortcake. (Those who include their opinion about my question in their review will get an extra piece!)

There is a cover for Desterrado in the works and it will be drawn by yours truly.

* * *

><p>There were eyes in the darkness – narrowed, hazel eyes that watched a certain green-eyed demon from a safe distance, keeping a careful eye on his movements.<p>

"Mmm..." muttered the whispered voice, sensuous and feminine. "Interesting. I can even smell the human in him from here. Such a small part of him, yet it emits such a strong smell..." The eyes narrowed further. "Now, now, when is that little kitsune going to be back?"

* * *

><p>Shin was visibly <em>storming <em>as he headed down the coast, scowling like an inclement thundercloud with a look of such piercing anger in his eyes that even some of his closest friends didn't dare to approach him until it passed. Even though he realized that there were cracks beginning to show in his usual poker face – despite that he knew it didn't matter as much nowadays – he couldn't bring himself to brighten up as he concentrated on the task at hand: finding Kazue.

She had fallen asleep before him. It had all been pleasant enough, Kazue giving him a cheerful smile and yet another thanks for letting her stay with him – well, that is until Shin spotted eyes staring at him from a distance.

No, not at _him –_ the eyes had been watching the petite, chocolate-eyed girl across from him. He swore he could see the intent and calculating gaze, dark with secrets and knowledge. But he had simply frowned and dismissed it as a figment of his own imagination. After all, why would anyone be watching either of them?

And now he was running up the sand, looking for footsteps that he knew wouldn't be there. Even if they _had _been there at one point, whatever traces of them had been washed away by the tide.

Kenta, ever the observant one, had obviously noticed his funk and looked as though he was itching to ask, or at least attempt to say _something _to him. But he had long ago made it clear that he hated people who interrupted his concentration and Kenta knew better than to bother him.

Besides, what could the fisherman possibly do? What sort of words could he say to him?

Kenta – like many of the other fellow fisherman friends he had made in his time there – knew next to nothing about him. No one knew that he had been kicked out of Yakushi Village – though most of them would notice that he would tense up whenever the village was mentioned – and none of them knew about the extent of his connection with the former handmaiden of Sei'an City. None of them knew that the life he had lived before settling down in Southern Ryoshima Coast had been filled with loneliness and fear. None of them knew... anything.

Well, no one that really _mattered –_ just Kazue. Because she had been the only one to accept him when he first showed up Ryoshima Coast, looking like some sort of thief. Because she had been the one that pushed him to try his hand at fishing and was the first one who had ever congratulated him on one of his achievements. Because she was his best friend and he knew he could tell her anything and she would _listen_.

And now she was gone. Poof. Disappeared into thin air for all he knew.

He didn't know when it had happened. He had a vague timetable at best; sometime between his own descent into sleep and his awakening – but it hadn't been _that _long, because when he woke up the remaining embers of the fire had not yet faded. He could only guess where she might have gone to. She was probably alone – and Amaterasu knew that she couldn't defend herself very well – and what if there wasn't anyone around if she got herself into trouble?

The thought made his blood _boil_. He remembered one of the other fisherman chiding him for his _over-_protectiveness, such that he ended up winding himself into a tight ball of explosive temper and nerves whenever things got risky – becoming similar to a human time-bomb waiting to explode at the slightest jostle – but in the light of the situation at hand, Shin didn't care if he was being hyper-vigilant. He had no reason _not _to be.

Shin heard a stick snap loudly underneath his foot, getting a glance from the wandering gaze of Kenta but little attention from anyone else on the coast – after all, sticks broke all the time. Shin glared at the stick for a second, scowling at the broken piece of wood and the harsh cracks he had made in it.

In the distance, Kenta swallowed hard, though kept himself silent; there was something awful and black in Shin's eyes – something that made it seem like he wasn't just Shin anymore, but someone else. He recognized this, though; sometimes it happened – it just happened, sometimes for no reason at all, or sometimes when there was danger – and he didn't like it when Shin got like that...

It was like he was wearing a mask, and sometimes it would slip – and he would push the mask back up into place again, just like that, so nobody could really see what was underneath.

Sometimes Kenta thought about asking him. Just to ask what was under that mask of his – what was so dark and hurting that he had to cover it up like that, all the time. But he was almost nervous to ask, because what was underneath was unnerving to him already – and he wasn't sure if he really wanted to know.

* * *

><p>Kazue was crying when she awoke.<p>

Her throat was dry and it ached when she swallowed between her sobs, but her body felt so heavy and sluggish. Tears poured from her eyes as she cried, not bothering to try to hide them at all, the pain she felt flowing freely down her face.

Her horrid experience and the nightmares that followed haunted and echoed through her mind, making her unsure what exactly was real and what was a dream. Vaguely, she realized that she was still in the cave, but she no longer felt the hardness of the ground beneath her, and she was warm. The cave was dark, the only light able to reach her was the moon's light, though it was enough. But was this a dream as well?

A dark shape sat above her, staying with her even through her loud sobs. Something cool stroked her bangs slowly, too sharp-feeling to be a hand, but it was soothing all the same. Now and then it would catch a tear that was trailing down her cheek. The presence she felt tingled warmly in her perceptions, but it was unfamiliar.

"Shh..." a soft, whispered voice said gently. "I'm here... you're not alone... don't cry..." She couldn't identify its owner, except for the fact that it was male, a bit rough, but so _gentle_. "He's gone... he can't hurt you anymore... everything will be okay... shh..."

The shadow leaned closer to her, though she still couldn't make out the owner – just a head shape and a moving mouth to accompany that voice.

She closed her eyes again.

"...you still with me, Kazue?" Why did the shadow know her name? "Hang in there – stay awake for me, okay?"

The voice suddenly became clearer. She barely opened her eyes again, bleary, still unable to focus. He was still leaning over her, hands working on something in-between comforting her. "...hey," the boy – or was it a man? – kept talking, "don't pass out again. You better stay awake..."

She managed a small, faint moan. Her breath hitched in her throat when the boy moved one of her arms, moving it to rest over her chest. It hurt abominably, especially near her shoulder – a deep ache that informed her that something might be broken. She wasn't sure how she knew, but it hurt _so much_ that that was the only conclusion her mind came to.

With all the pain she was swimming in, it was almost impossible to tell exactly what hurt and what didn't until one or another of her aches yelped when the boy did something.

"...guess that's the worst of it," the boy went on, obviously talking just to keep her attention. "Sorry, I'm not good at this sort of thing, but I know you're hurt. You still with me, Kazue?" He hummed. "I know I shouldn't be moving you much, but one of us is going to have to do something eventually... You'll be fine..."

All she could manage in response was another soft moan, trying to stay focused on the blurry face above her.

She felt herself being lifted briefly. Whatever warmth she felt was gone, replaced with the cold ground of the cave. The shadow disappeared from overhead, moving out of her vision, and she heard footsteps crunching rapidly away. His voice came to her, distanced, like he just remembered that she was still there. "Now just wait here. Don't sleep, Kazue, stay awake!"

At least now there was blessed quiet and stillness. It helped the throbbing in her head lessen. There was no voice, no faces, no warm feeling – just nothing.

Nothing at all.

It was strange, though she didn't know why. This nothingness should have been filled with something. _Anything _would do. She felt as though she were in a void, where the faces and voices of her loved ones should have been – where she should be _thinking _about and _remembering _them – but yet there were none. She couldn't recall them. She only knew that they _should_ be there, they had been there, but they weren't anymore.

She had pushed them into darkness, lost them, to escape the pain. And now they were beyond her reach, and he hurt too much, and he couldn't even remembered where she had placed them away or how to get them back. Everything was slipping through her fingers, even as she tried to grab onto things she couldn't see...

"He-hey! Don't quit now!"

The shadow's voice jerked her back from the whatever edge she was on like a rope, making her utter a gasp. Eyes open once more, she could see the shadow above her once again.

"Take it easy now," the voice instructed. "I have to move you again. It's not the best idea, but I can't do anything else here."

Arms eased under her as they carefully shifted her – moving beneath her, jostling her. It tore a rasping cry from her parched throat as the motion brought a hideous throb to her temples and a twisting agony through her shoulder.

"Ah! Sorry, just try to stay still..."

The boy's voice was concerned – full of concentration and determination. Ever so carefully, the arms maneuvered, then lifted her, every motion sending a fresh wave of pain across her body and a new hammer-blow to her skull. Every step the boy took was like an electric shock, wrenching gasps of pain from her lips and squeezing stray tears from her eyes.

She really didn't understand why, but somewhere in her head, that appalled her.

The boy's steps ceased after a while, and the movement changed – bringing with it a whole new set of pains and jolts and white-hot bursts. She cried out again as he was shifted, laid down on something soft – grass... or maybe it was sand? More tears blurred her eyes, and she couldn't tell. Now everything just seemed red, and whatever gripped her just wouldn't _let go. _

"Just hold on for me, Kazue..."

The shadow kept talking, kept speaking reassuringly to her, keeping her awake. She focused on the voice, held to it as though it were a lifeline. It was an anchor against the pain – albeit a temporary one.

So she obeyed the shadowed voice. She held on.

* * *

><p>Shin, halfway across the wide area that was Southern Ryoshima Coast, was not in much better shape.<p>

In fact, he was probably worse off.

But it was still early morning, and the sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, and even if he was bedraggled, sweaty and exhausted, he was still looking. He darted across the grass and around the few early-risers that were awake, alarming them as he flew uncaringly down the coast.

He pulled to a quick stop as he neared a boulder, leaning on it, panting deep breaths and glancing around to get his bearings straight. He was probably already far beyond anywhere Kazue might've gotten to on foot – but by now all he could do was try to find a trace – any trace – of her.

Uncomfortably hot, he rolled up the sleeves of his one-piece, grimacing as he did. His backtracking to his hut hadn't given him any clues either – no footprints, no signs of scuffle, no single trace of her anywhere. It was as if she had walked out of the hut and just up and vanished.

A moment later, he was running again, wondering what he was doing and what in the hell he was _supposed _to do. He was wearing himself down step by step, but unable to stop.

_Frantic _didn't even begin to describe his state of mind. _White-hot _was coming closer – seething and worried and frenzied and gasping as he ran/stumbled along the coast, lungs burning and limbs shaking, but still _searching. _

He was her friend – her _best _friend. If he stopped searching it would mean he was giving up, and he would not – _could not _give up the hope of finding her. He couldn't give up.

As time dragged on, the jagged ache inside him had only doubled in size and intensity. Now he was just running aimlessly, mindlessly, no longer logical and ordered but more terrified and despairing – determined to find her somehow. Hope had long since given way to desperation, resolve had faded away to grief, but a horrible sadness and anger kept his feet moving, one after another.

He'd spent hours searching, knowing that she was still _here_. Knowing all this time that she hadn't really left, and his mind's abject refusal to just stop kept him rushing ahead, knowing that if he gave up he really would fall to pieces.

But he _couldn't find her_. No matter how hard he tried or how long he looked, Southern Ryoshima Coast was too big. There were too many places to hide. He was all alone, one boy running around on foot, trying to find one missing exiled girl.

But he just couldn't stop. Grief and worry and a cold deadly will made him keep running, far beyond the point of caring how tired or hurt he was. His feelings had torn his mask aside, stripping the everyday innocence of the young fisherman down to something ghastly and pale and terrifyingly sharp, brown eyes brimming with fell, feverish flames.

_I have to find her_, his mind repeated, over and over, a thought that kept the rhythm of his feet, that turned in his head like an engine that kept him going.

Something caught his foot, and he stumbled; his weakened limbs couldn't catch him before he fell, barely slowing his descent so that he tumbled to his knees with a harsh cry. Pain in his stung palms and knees brought him to be more awake than he had been, jogging mindlessly – but it only served to hurt and frustrate him more when his protesting legs almost refused to allow him to stand up again.

"Can't stop," he hissed at himself, clenching his jaw. "Where am I supposed to go? What the hell am I supposed to _do_?"

His harsh questions were accompanied by a fist thumping to the grass, following by one tiny drop of water. Gritted teeth tried to bite back tears – tears of worry and grief and frustration and anger and hopelessness.

In the state he was in, the faint feminine voice behind him scared the living daylights out of him and made his heart leap with a surge of sudden, irrational hope.

He reared back on his knees and whipped around. "What is it? Is she found?" he demanded in rapid succession, his mind barely considering the scant handful of people who had would even approach him in this condition.

"Hello to you, too," said the soft, unfamiliar voice – one that was like a dash of cold water over him, jerking him abruptly out of the haze.

"Who are you?" he asked harshly, staring up at the woman in standing above him. She looked odd, not exactly in appearance – no, she looked like an average female – but in the way she carried herself and the way she spoke...There was just something _off _about her, but the biggest hint about her was her eyes, which shone in faint amusement.

"Well, are you still working yourself frantic, or have you stopped running in circles long enough to listen?" she went on, wryly, ignoring the question Shin had asked. "It's a pretty nice night, if you still want to continue your jog..."

"You!" Shin half-choked. "What do you know about this?"

The woman chuckled softly, showing an array of pearly white teeth. "You'd be surprised how much I know, Shin. It's kind of hard to miss what's going on when one person is running down the coast, looking much like a rabid animal. I just thought I'd lend a hand."

"You... you know something?" It wasn't so much a question as much as a statement.

"Hmm, well I can say that I've been keeping an eye out, and when your little friend left tonight I followed her," the woman replied, the amusement in her eyes increasing twofold. "I know where she is now, and it seems that she's fine."

"But–you–!" he spluttered. "How can I trust you?"

"You can't," the woman said casually, shrugging. "But I'd be willing to help you. It's your choice whether or not that you accept my offer."

Shin kept himself silent as the strange woman above him continued. "If you do choose to trust me, I'll be waiting for you at the City Checkpoint. But either way, you better hurry," she pointed a dainty finger up at the sky, where darkness was already beginning to swirl, "because something major is going to happen."

And then she was gone. Poof.

Shin stared at the spot where she had been standing for several seconds, as his heartbeat roared in his ears and his vision swam with the beginnings of tears – this time of sheer relief.

She was okay. Someone had found her, or she had gotten herself into a safe place, and he didn't have to search for her anymore...

But it felt weird to trust someone he had just met, especially with the way the woman acted... but even so, he had found a clue, and that's all that mattered to him.

He forced himself to his feet, buoyed by new, stumbling hope, and began to quickly make his way towards the City Checkpoint.

* * *

><p>General Michi Himura was, if nothing else, highly observant of things that were out of place – especially when the people around him were concerned. As powerful, intimidating, and flat-out cruel as he might have seemed to most, he <em>did <em>possess a rather uncanny empathy that allowed him to see beyond the lies of most people – into their hearts, where the truth slept. He knew when his close friends were putting on a smile but were hurting inside; he knew when someone was hiding something in a feeble attempt to look strong. As thoughtless as he might have been in general, he was smart enough to know when things were _wrong _with someone.

The fact that Queen Himiko had never before hidden something from his knowledge before was a large clue that something particularly _odd _was afoot in Sei'an City.

Michi was willing to let it slide that the Queen Himiko had the right to keep her secrets. But when he noticed that said queen sat staring into her sacred crystal ball more and more each day, her expression always a mix of sadness and desperation – all the while constantly putting on a smile for whoever approached or spoke to her, Michi began to wonder.

He had become by necessity a people-watcher. In the beginning, it was a simply a skill he used to observe the city's enemies, but it had eventually slipped into his everyday life as well. It wasn't something he did consciously anymore; mostly it was habit, so that he knew when it alright to voice his opinions and when it was time to slip into "invisible mode," to avoid making any unnecessary trouble.

As Michi climbed the ladder that led up to Gen's home/laboratory, he could already hear the mechanic rustling around with his machines. He poked his head into the entrance, calling out to the small old man, "Gen! Have anything for me yet?"

Said old man turned towards the general, a grin tracing his features. He was round-cheeked, innocent-looking, with a smile that was sweet – when it was shown – and eyes that only appeared through the thick hair that covered his face when he grinned. Right now however, that grin was a mask. The mechanic didn't truly have any good news.

"Well, I think–"

"Dammit, Gen!" he snapped, easily slipping into his tough general persona. "I want explanations, not just speculation!"

"General," said the purple-clothed man, "I'm sorry, but speculation is the best I can do for now."

"What does the queen have to say about this?" he demanded.

"She hasn't said anything, sir. She could not be reached."

"Impossible!" His fist clenched at his side and as the mechanic looked up at the taller man, he could see real concern and confusion swirling in his eyes.

"It's true, sir. The queen seemed to have severed all communications with the world outside her palace for the moment."

For a while, Michi just merely glared down at the mechanic, while his fingers trapped against his thigh. If the queen was in danger, _he _should know about it. He wasn't a top-ranked general for nothing. He hadn't worked for years to achieve such a ranking to not have his ruler be able to place her trust in him. She was hiding something from him – something big, something that he should know about.

"So," he said once he came to a conclusion with his thoughts. "We'll go in ourselves."

The mechanic stepped back, and Michi could see the subtle alarm on the old man's face. "Sir?"

"You heard me well enough, Gen. We're going to get ourselves into the palace and find out just what the hell is going on here exactly."

"But... general... This is the queen's decision."

"Gen, listen to me. A queen cannot simply hide away from her people," Michi said, his voice suddenly becoming solemn. "The residents of Sei'an City are scared; the recent events have shaken them and they're unsure of what to think. I'm not too sure myself."

Gen looked away, but still nodded. "A mobilization, then?"

"Of course. Have–"

Before Michi could even finish his sentence, a panting soldier brought his attention away from the mechanic as he stumbled into the room. The soldier's face was bright red and Michi could see various injuries on the young man's body. Blood was openly flowing from most of them. "Sir!" he gasped, clutching the frame of Gen's home. "Multiple contacts!"

"_With what?"_

"Unknown, sir!"

"Get out of my way!" The general swore under his breath as he made his way across the room, giving the soldier a slight push out of the doorway. He froze as he looked out into the city and it took a stunned heartbeat to recognize what exactly was in the sky and what exactly was _falling _out of it and into the water over Southern Ryoshima Coast.

He had to fight down his conflicting emotions – anger, sadness, fear – as he heard a nightmarish scream come from the innards of the city. A young woman running down the path, chased by _something _he couldn't put a name to. However, the noise didn't last long. The scream was cut off after a moment and an eery silence followed after.

Michi swallowed hard against the churning in his guts, trying to steady his suddenly-shaking hands, fighting down the echoing emotions that threatened to take over his judgment.

Something compelled him to step forward...

His head snapped around to the injured soldier. "Gather every available soldier we have, immediately! If anyone dares to question you, you can tell them that High General Michi _personally _sent you."

And as he turned back towards the opening, still shaky and slow, to make his way back to the ground, a single question – one of many – made itself most poignantly known.

_Dear Amaterasu, what's happening?_

* * *

><p>Awareness of being awake brought with it a world of pain.<p>

Everything centered in his head, radiating in white-hot throbs through the rest of his body. There were voices he couldn't make out, loud and muddled at the same time, and he couldn't be bothered to figure out if they were real or imagined. They were all around him, insistent, prodding at him. Shouts, whispers, screams, cries, and thunder...

He felt things tracing his skin, and like almost everything else around him, he couldn't tell whether they were true touches or merely phantoms of his own pain. There were hands – the softest of fingers, and rock-hard fists.

There were faces in his vision, twisted in hatred or fear – maybe they could be the sources of all the voices. They were all so angry, or frightened, or despairing.

He saw eyes, too – dark eyes full of black flames and rage and sorrow. There was a pair of emerald green eyes – eyes that seemed uncertain and almost fearful. A pair of amber eyes appeared, and they seemed amused. And lastly, he saw wide brown chocolate eyes, the longer they lingered, the more light was sucked out of them.

Awareness brought pain, and he didn't know why he hurt so much. Everything flickering around him made it hurt even worse, and he welcomed the blackness with open arms. He accepted the cessation of the nose, the sensations of the touches, the faces, the chaos. The pain that pounded through his mind lessened slightly as he let everything wash over him and pass from his him, dropping away as though it was a heavy burden that he willingly released.

He idly released that trying to hold on, trying to grasp it all, only made agony shoot threw him, and the effort was too much, so he just let it all go.

It was quieter in his mind – much quieter. There was no constant questioning from Kouki, no struggling from the girl, and _her _voice was vanquished from his head. He was in warm, empty darkness, with no voices, no faces, nothing at all.

It was quieter... but somehow there was still a touch, still a voice. He supposed he shouldn't have thought so soon. Hadn't he pushed it all away? Why was he still feeling something? The darkness was more comfortable, falling away from the pain that didn't have a source... but there was a touch, insistent hands that refused to leave, a voice that became distinct over time. Was there a face, as well?

He couldn't be sure, but the best way to find out was to open his eyes.

Once he precisely recalled how to do that, snapping open his eyelids made the throbbing jolts center right behind his eyes, in the center. It was too bright – light hurt, and brought with it a flash of a roiling pillar of luminescence, as well as more shooting pains through his skull – so he once again shut his eyes tight with a quick indrawn breath.

The voice was still there, though. He couldn't make it was it said. There were words, but he couldn't understand them. It sounded like gibberish, making no sense at all... couldn't they speak normally?

Now the words were becoming clearer. Those words had meaning.

Something _clicked_ suddenly, almost painfully, as he finally recognized what exactly was being said to him.

"_Her soul has bonded with it."_


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N **;; Wow, I updated so soon? Is that because I already had most of this chapter already written up? Well, yes, that's the reason why. Anyway, this chapter is nearing eight-thousand words, and that's the longest thing I have ever written ever. I'm proud.

**Ah, before I forget... updates are going to be very limited in August. I don't know if I'll be able to post any at all, when I think about it. But there's a reason behind that! I'm going to be in a whole different country on a whole different continent for the whole month of August, and because of that, that's going to leave me not so much time to write. But there will be things to post when I get back in September if there's nothing in August. **

Anyway! I forgot to thank the people who reviewed last chapter, so I'll do it here!

So, thank you to everyone who reviewed the last few chapters.  
>And extra super-special-awesome-chocolaty-fudge-covered-thanks-accompanied-with-a-wireless-chocolate-fountain goes to <strong>BoudicaFlamespirit <strong>and **Daughter of Kabegami **for giving me their opinions on my question. It means a lot, really.

And, in conclusion to that question I asked last chapter, I have decided that I **will **be writing different spin-offs/companions to Desterrado within the coming months. I have two in mind, and both of them are going to be connected to Desterrado, yet they're also going to be drastically different. I hope to post at least one of them before December, since I want to get Desterrado further into its plot before I release anything relating to it, and I hope you will enjoy them when I do!

* * *

><p>Ren's eyes once again snapped open as he heard <em>her <em>voice echoing through his mind, suppressing a growl as the events of the past few days came rushing back to him. He felt lighter, and felt nothing underneath where he lay. All around him, there was white, and he shifted uncomfortably, trying to readjust himself.

A column of bright light shone in the distance, faint at first before gradually becoming brighter, to the point where he had to close his eyes, and even then, he could still see it behind his eyelids.

After the light had faded, Ren opened his eyes again, looking around uncertainly in the huge room he now found himself in.

And to say it was _huge_ was an understatement.

It wasn't even a room – it was an _expanse_; by sheer size alone it must have taken up the entire area of Sei'an City itself. The great chamber only grew wider as the walls rose, expanding outwards like a great stadium. It took massive torches – great copper bowls, nearly bonfires themselves – to light to huge room almost to daylight, casting everything in a light gold-orange glow.

In the ceiling of the chamber, which was painted with the ancient legends of Nippon, intricate star maps, and names of the gods that ruled over the land, was a large round gap through which one could see the stars – and perhaps, when the time was just right, the full moon itself. And it happened to be just that time, as the silvery starlight blended with the gold of the fires to shine down upon the center of room, where Ren himself was standing. Banners of silk lined the cool stone walls, embroidered with the finest of threads, precious metals, and bright jewels, most baring the signs and pictures of the thirteen brush gods.

Along the high, clifflike walls – polished smooth by centuries of hard work – were cut spacious ledges and shelves, each one sized for the comfort of a sitting kitsune, each seat bathed in orange-hued shadows. However, every one of those places remained empty, except for one, and Ren's gaze was instantly drawn to the woman who sat neatly on the highest ledge. She stared down at the tiny fox-turned-human in utter, impassive silence.

_Inari._

Ren stared up at the gigantic chamber, eyes wide in awe. He had never felt smaller or more insignificant in his life, and before he could even try to take a step forward, Inari was in front of him.

It was indisputable that Inari was old, even being older than the first incarnation of Amaterasu, but because she was a god, her body was forever frozen in the appearance of a young woman. Her clothing was elaborate, layers of silk kimono in the colors of Autumn tied with bright obi, subtly enhanced with jewels and embroidery. Her snow white hair was done up impeccably, not a single strand out of place, and her amber eyes grew softer as a smile crossed her face.

"Hello, Ren," the goddess said at last, her tone the very incarnation of politeness. "Welcome home. It has indeed been a long time since you last graced my domain with your presence."

He managed a shallow bow. "I am honored to be in your company once again," Ren replied stiffly, more rote speech than an honest response. In the presence of a god, a lot can happen in the space of an instant's glance – and most of those things included blurring violence and a quick death. Although the majority of gods proved to be benevolent, there were some that had quite the short temper and did not put up with any rudeness or run around of a being that was lower than themselves.

The look that crossed in her eyes made him bristle; though she looked like a harmless woman, there was something in her cold, pale amber gaze that unsettled him.

And Inari's bow of reply dipped not a millimeter lower than his own.

"My Lady," Ren spoke hesitantly, trying hard to keep his comments to himself. "May I ask why I have been summoned here?"

Smiling, Inari stepped closer – standing three meters away, then two... then one. She only stopped when Ren just barely drew back, just enough to keep himself out of her arms' reach, bristling slightly. "My, my," she muttered, shaking her head. "You've grown older again. I feel as though it just the day before when you were but a tiny pup!"

Ren's mouth only creased slightly in a small frown, though he didn't say anything. He had to fight the instinct to lash out defensively, forcing himself to stand straight and still. Her closeness to him had sealed his voice.

The goddess didn't bring her gaze away from the fox in front of her. He was tense and guarded – more so than Inari had ever seen him before, in any meetings in the past. His jaw was clenched, his eyes narrowed just barely, and his hands were gripping the fabric of his pants. And as she looked just a bit closer, she almost couldn't believe that she saw _fear_ glimmering faintly in the red eyes of her companion.

The thick tension between the god and the kitsune could have been plucked from the air and used as a doorstop – hell, it might have been heavy enough for even the massive pair of doors that led into the chamber. Ren could feel it; it made the thin fur that covered his human body stand up all the way down his spine. Consternation was the only thing he could think about, and apprehensive alarm kept his eyes trained solely on the young woman in front of him. Though neither of them moved now, the glaring tension burned and crackled between them like a physical aura.

"My lady–" Ren's words were abruptly cut by the loud creaking of the two doors on the other side of the room. His sensitive ears twitched at the noise, and he whipped around as Inari simply smiled and waved at the intruding visitors.

Before he could even register who was in the doorway, the other kitsune were already approaching him and Inari, snapping him out of his slight surprise. He forced himself to hold his ground, to remain standing straight and to keep his claws relaxed at his sides – no matter that his first impulse was to snarl and leap away from these kitsune, who had him both outnumbered and definitely overpowered.

The procession that approached consisted of two men and several women, each of them finely dressed in the finest of garments. They came closer, and though he tried not to draw back, his apprehension must have been obvious; the elderly-looking man in the lead suddenly stopped, smiled, and held up his hands.

"Be at ease, young one. We mean you no harm," the old kitsune said, his voice deep and rough, sounding quite aged. He was a kitsune indeed, but by far the most ancient one that Ren had ever seen – with the possible exception of Inari, but she wasn't much like a kitsune herself – though the claws were still sharp – and his face was creased with centuries, rough and wrinkled like old leather.

Though most kitsune never did grow facial hair, this one was so old that his cheeks and jaw had begun to sprout a pale white half-beard, which made his face look even more fox-like, evidence of his great age – but his eyes were sharp, colored a pale amber, burning with awareness and intelligence. Despite his advanced age, Ren knew that this old kitsune was far from senile.

"What are you waiting for, Ren?" Inari prodded. "Introduce yourself properly!"

Ren drew himself up, trying to find his tongue. "I'm..."

"We know," the elder said with another smile. "Ren, the youth that fled from the domain of Inari just a little after he received his third tail. You're still the subject of much talk around here."

The whole group bowed to him – which startled him, though he kept it hidden; he'd never been really _bowed to _before. He couldn't seem to think of what was proper to say in a situation such as this one; it was rather uncomfortable, and he felt more like a penniless, unkempt ruffian of a kitsune than he ever had before, if at all. "I..."

The man laughed gently, his voice carrying throughout the room. "You don't remember me? I am Jimmu, of the high council," the elderly man said simply – then gestured towards one of his companions, a man with the eyes of a dark thundercloud who seemed to be in his mid-sixties – but was in truth probably centuries older. "This is Hideaki, another member of the high council, and a very good friend of your father's. Our third member, however, could not be here at the moment, though she sends her best regards."

Ren regarded the gruff-looking, grizzled kitsune curiously, seeing a hint of friendliness in the hard, stormy eyes. He nodded quickly and briefly to the kitsune in what he thought would be a respectful enough greeting, almost afraid to be anything but respectful as he counted the odds against him. After a moment, he turned his gaze back towards Jimmu.

Inari had dropped him off in the middle of her domain, he only had half a soul, and he'd been stupid enough to not take his weapon along with him as he tracked the girl – how much worse could it get for him if he refused to play along with these kitsune? They were all older than him, more experienced – and probably much more powerful than anything he had fought before, taking their ages into mind.

Hideaki sniffed the air then, narrowed his eyes, and looked towards Ren. "Boy, where is your Hoshi no Tama?"

Suddenly alarmed, Ren stepped back, his hand automatically reaching for a sword that was no longer there – until Jimmu's iron grip on his elbow dragged him a quick stop. Startled, the half-souled kitsune froze where he was, rigid – staring at the two powerful kitsunes that stood beside him. Jimmu remained impassive, so Ren once again fought the urge to lash out defensively.

Once again, it seemed that the rigid formality that had been in the air was gone; the room broke into murmurs and shuffling as the visitors began to speak amongst themselves. Most notably was the conversation between Jimmu and Hideaki, to which they would look back at Ren frequently, nod in his direction, and then turned to Inari, ask her something, and then repeat.

After a while, Jimmu turned back to Ren, clapped his hands together, and simply said, "Well, you don't need it anymore."

* * *

><p>It took Shin a long time to reach the City Checkpoint, even if he'd managed to keep a steady run all the way there.<p>

He was already _beyond _exhausted. His feet ached and his muscles shook, and he felt terribly cold even though he was sweating profusely from all the exertion of walking, running, jogging through Southern Ryoshima Coast. He got a few strange looks from passersby – a bedraggled, gasping boy running and stumbling down the path that led to the City Checkpoint was certainly a sight to take a second look at.

Once he got to the entrance of the City Checkpoint, that was where his real problems began. Standing there, staring down the bridge, his arms wrapped around himself against the early morning chill, he started to feel the edges of desperation and frustration beginning to creep in again.

_Great. This is just great. __**Now **__what am I supposed to do? _he growled silently. _"Meet me at the City Checkpoint," she says. Well, woman, where the hell are you? _

He glanced around at the two guards that flanked either side of the entrance; though it was still dark, it still wasn't all that late, and there wasn't a lot of people about. _She's not coming – what was I thinking? _

Shin was just beginning to fall into the depths of despair once more when a cooing flutter caught his attention. Startled, he whipped around, catching sight of a pigeon beside him – a pigeon, lacking the usual yellow, red and gray that usually marked its body. Instead, it was pure white, like the first snowfall of winter.

The white pigeon strutted closer to him, cocking its head to peer up at him with one shiny dark eye. It turned in a small circle and cooed at him, regarding him almost as if it were impatient.

Despite his tiredness, Shin managed a faint half-smile. "Follow you, huh?" he said, more to himself than the pigeon. "Of course..." _Why would I expect anything less? _He took a step towards the bird, and it remained where it was for a moment before launching back into flight, heading away from the Checkpoint and into a nearby patch of trees.

With a bone-weary sigh, Shin unlimbered his arms and followed after the pigeon, skittering across the ground, not really paying attention to anything but the bird that was flying high above him.

They continued the follow-the-leader game for a while, with the pigeon leading the way and Shin stumbling along behind. They moved in a generally straight line, heading right through the trees – probably since the bird had been instructed to find a subject and return, but pigeons weren't all that smart – and occasionally the bird would flutter back to perch on a tree or turn in a large circle if Shin fell behind too much.

Eventually, however, the snow-white pigeon flew down to the ground at the entrance of a shallow cave, stopping there and turning one last circle as Shin stumbled up, panting. The bird cooed at him softly, unafraid of his proximity, as Shin covered his breath and peered into the dark depths of the cave. It was much further from the City Checkpoint and the area around them was quiet and empty.

It was so quiet for a moment that the flutter of the pigeon's wings startled him as the bird took wing once more, vanishing into the morning sky.

Wary, and a bit confused, Shin looked once more at the sky, noticing that the sky had again darkened. He sighed and stepped forward into the cave. _Now what? _he thought. _Is she in here? _

Then he got the feeling. There were eyes on him.

He passed into the shadows where the remaining moonlight couldn't reach, his steps slow and deliberate to allow his eyes time to adjust as he walked further into the depths. There was almost no direct light here, but as his eyes quickly grew accustomed to the dimness he could make out large protruding boulders and a few larger insects as they scuttled across the ground – and further down, he could see the back wall of the cave.

There was a faint breeze through the cave, just enough to make him shiver. All around him were rocks, above him was a dripping ceiling, but there was still no one here besides him. Or at least no one that was immediately apparent.

The watched feeling was growing more intense by the minute, making every hair on his body stand on end and his spine tingle with alertness. An edge of adrenaline drowned a bit of his exhaustion, making him stand a bit straighter in the darkness.

And even as his body reacted, his mind banished the alarms – he already knew who was probably watching him. He knew who, he had a vague idea of why, but he didn't know _where._

"'I'd be willing to help you. It's your choice whether or not that you accept my offer,'" he quoted into the darkness around him – and with the sound of a low sigh, Shin turned his eyes towards the back of the cave, left corner. "Right, woman?"

"Sharp as ever, I see," replied the soft, ironic voice of the woman, as a shadow shifted in that sport – a dark shape that was invisible until it moved. "You took the words right out of my mouth."

"I don't have time for games." Shin took a few steps closer, gazing at the woman standing in the corner. "You said meet at the City Checkpoint, and I followed your bird all the way here..."

"Ah, yes. My pigeon... I thought she would be an excellent choice. I think she likes you."

Shin's eyes narrowed – not with anger, but with impatience. "You flatter me. So tell me what you know. Where's Kazue?"

"Safe, at least I think..." the woman replied, before taking a few steps forward, coming to stand about two meters from Shin and not offering to approach any closer.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shin demanded.

"Relax, Shin," the woman warned, not exactly unkindly. "You want to know the information I have, but you have to keep calm. This–" She gestured to Shin's bedraggled, exhausted, emotional state. "–doesn't seem like you at all."

"I'm _fine_," he nearly growled. "You said you know where Kazue is."

"Yes, I do." The woman's hands went to her sides and she fixed Shin with a firm stare. "She was lured to a cave–"

Shin had already switched modes – directly into panic. "She was _what_? Who did it? Who–?"

"_Stop_, Shin," the woman interrupted, the unusually urgent tone in her voice halting the boy's babble like a solid brick wall. "I told you to keep yourself calm. I think she's safe with who she's with now. The one who lured her had been keeping track of her for a few days–"

"_What?"_

"–but listen to me. Don't worry about the one who took Kazue. His companion will take care of her. He has a certain... sympathy for humans and he feels guilty. Nothing will happen to her as long as she's with him. But this really isn't the time for long explanations. She might have jumped the fire, but there's an inferno on the horizon."

Her voice had become so serious, so abruptly that it almost startled Shin. "What happened?" he asked, already on edge and trembling with slight anxiety.

"We don't have much time before something major breaks loose," the woman said, once again ignoring Shin's question. "It's already reached Sei'an. I don't know how fast it will spread."

"You mean _I _don't have much time," Shin half-yelled, his eyes already flaming. He didn't seem to register, or at least not acknowledge, her last two sentences. "I have to get where she is. Where is it?"

"I don't think you're going to like this," the woman replied, her tone almost apologetic. "He might end up taking her to Yakushi Village to obtain medicine for some of her injuries."

Shin's jaw dropped – and so did his heart, all the way to the pit of his stomach. "But... no! How am I supposed to get _there_ from _here_? I can't go there!"

"Precisely." After a thoughtful pause, in which the woman regarded Shin with measuring eyes, the woman took several slow, careful steps forward – as one of her hands opened to reveal a small golden coin. "This is a mermaid coin. There are mermaid springs spread all over Nippon, but one is not able to see them unless one holds a mermaid coin. There is one in Taka Pass that you can use to get to Shinshu Field. Just tell the spring where you want to go. You can find your way to Yakushi Village from there."

Shin stared at the paper for a half-instant before taking it, carefully, his fingers barely brushing the hand of the woman. He repeated the information she gave him over in his head once, then looked back up at the woman, who had taken a step back. "T...thank you..." he stuttered, gratitude tightening his throat. "I really..."

"So don't worry about it," the woman replied with a shrug.

"But – doing this..." Shin still stared up at her, eyes large in his pale, tired face. "Why? Why would you do this?"

Again, the woman shrugged, glancing away for only an instant. "Because it will benefit both of us in the end."

"But–"

"Didn't you say that you had limited time left?" the woman cut in, her voice firm but in no way harsh, waving a dismissive hand. "Get moving already!"

Shin took a step backwards, more surprised at the change in the woman than with being told to hurry up and get to Kazue. The sudden look of _danger_ – as well as two threatening step towards the boy – caused Shin to shy back, surprised at the woman's lunge and reacting automatically to avoid being touched. Realigning his thoughts back towards finding his friend, he whipped around and ran towards the mouth of the cave, stopping to look back only when he had reached the edge of light and darkness.

When he looked back, the woman had not moved any further – but was instead grinning at him. Only briefly though; with a jaunty wave and a swift movement she returned to the darkness.

Shin didn't stay after that. With a wry smile that only lasted an instant, he began to run back in the direction he'd come from. Above his head, a snow-white pigeon swooped low over him with a soft coo, as if to encourage him, before turning upwards, back towards the cave – back to her master's side.

* * *

><p>The woman, Airi, was resting high in an old tree, a rather petulant, grumbling look on her face as her claws dug furrows in the branch upon where she sat. She had lost track of her main prey yet <em>again<em>; the kitsune she sought had once again disappeared right under her nose.

"That little jerk doesn't even _know_ that I'm tracking him, and he can _still _get away from me?" she growled to herself. "What does that say about your mighty hunting skills, Airi? I've been a pampered house-pet for far too long, that's what."

She let out a rather unladylike snort and laid back against the trunk, her feet dangling off the edge. "I am such an idiot. How could I let her talk me into something like this?"

In answer to herself, a small smile slowly spread across her face. _Of course you know, Airi, _she replied to herself. _This is the only way I can secure myself a place on the high council... _

Airi sighed. The Lady was much more concerned with keeping power within their grasp than she was; Airi merely liked the attention that she would receive being on the council that personally aligned themselves with Inari. And being in charge of others lower than herself was fun; though she was only just beginning to learn what that kind of power meant, she quite enjoyed the rewards that she knew came with it.

The Lady's plans had been wonderfully simply – well, at least part of them: Bring Ren back and they would set him up as a figurehead, while they would be pulling the power from behind. Every kitsune knew that Ren _would_ have easily taken over Jimmu's position on the council, simply because of the connections he held.

Airi's face turned down in a frown. Most of the kitsune in Inari's Domain had heard of Ren's recent exploits; for a five-tailed fox, he was shockingly powerful even with his lack of proper training. And in that way, many of the higher kitsune were afraid of him; while he was a kitsune himself, he had run away from the protection of Inari, and there was nothing stopping him from turning on his own kind.

Though personally, Airi highly doubted he would – unless, perhaps, they did something that he found unforgivable. Besides, compared to her, he was still just a kid.

_But in another century or so, when he reaches his prime... _she mused appreciatively, _he'll be one hell of a kitsune. He'll be **magnificent... **_

She was a hot-blooded kitsune herself, after all – far older than Ren, but still very young for a kitsune. She had not yet reached her seventh century – young enough to still be wild and reckless, old enough to be powerful...

Airi smiled slyly to herself, her eyes growing distant. _But when Ren's all grown up, very few would be able to stand in his way – probably not even The Lady..._

With a quick sigh, Airi shook her head free of thoughts, and pushed herself off the tree, landing on the ground without a sound. "One down... how many more to go...?" she muttered to herself, playing with the spare mermaid coin she held in her hand.

And then she was gone.

* * *

><p>Kazue held on, but it was with the grip of one wearied and weakened by pain and injury. She eventually had lost the battle with the darkness, her hold hold fading away even as her rescuer tried to keep her awake by speaking.<p>

She would never remember the shadow rushing in and out of her sight, carefully peeling away layers of her kimono to reach some of her wounds. She would never remember the hour of drifting in and out of consciousness, unable to respond to the efforts of the shadow, though he never seemed to stop speaking to her.

Even her initial rescue and moments of her first awakening would fade into fragments, those memories being washed away in spite of her wanting to keep hold of them. Until her brain could begin to heal itself, memories once lost would never be found – and even then, some of them would never be seen again.

The second time she became aware of being awake, she didn't hurt so much.

Her hazy memories of waking up in pain made her present headache seem so much more tolerable by comparison. Even so, it wasn't very pleasant either, and she still felt a bit muggy and slurred.

There was a steady rustling from beside where she lay, soft but still very incessant. The noise of it increased even as she listened.

She could recall a boy's face, a concerned voice, pain, being carried...

She was tired of the darkness. So she opened her eyes.

A dark blue sky greeted her overhead, lit by the soft light of the moon and the rising sun in the far distance. Dozens of stars still littered the sky and she could feel her hair fluttering in the breeze. She was propped up against something, though she was comfortable, and at a good angle to look around as her eyes slowly traced her surroundings.

There was a boy sitting beside her, watching her. She blinked, startled, when he met her eyes.

He was slim, though still pleasantly built, with the lightest shade of hair she had ever seen and a face that looked lined with worry. He regarded her for a few seconds as she stared at him, a smile beginning to pull at his lips. "You're awake, finally?"

With a gulp, she opened her mouth, but a rusty squeak was her only reply. For an instant, although she could easily understand the boy's words, she wasn't certain just how to _speak _them.

He was leaning forward suddenly, offering her a small cup. She _almost _flinched as she noticed that the boy didn't have hands, but instead claws. Bright blue claws... But she kept her mouth shut, mostly in fear of angering her savior. "Poor girl, how are you feeling?"

Her left arm, she discovered, would not willingly move. Dull ache turned to lancing pain as she twitched it without thinking, her shoulder protesting loudly at any sort of activity. She reached over and took the cup in her right hand, wincing as muscles complained on that side too, though not so vocally. The water was cool and sweet as she swallowed it, soothing the parched feeling in her throat and stickiness on her tongue.

"T-thank you..." she said, still a bit raspy.

The boy took the cup back, looking very pleased with himself. "No problem. But now that you're awake... I need to..."

He stood up then, smiling and patting her lightly on her good arm. In a moment, he was gone, and Kazue was left alone.

She took this time to look about some more, to look down at herself and see what exactly had happened to her. Her left arm was bandaged, her shoulder stiff and too painful to move. She could feel something wrapped around her ribs, tight but not too uncomfortable.

She'd been hurt pretty badly.

The boy came back then. He laughed. "So, you really _are _awake! I thought it had been another small moment." He crouched beside her. "How do you feel?"

She stared at him for another moment, swallowing, trying to remember the right words. She wasn't sure why, but she felt somehow afraid – not quite shy, but uncertain. But still, he also seemed safe, more familiar.

"Hey." He placed a hand – claw – on her good arm. "Relax."

"Sore..." she managed to get out. "I think..."

The boy hummed, green eyes shining with something akin to amusement. "How's your shoulder feeling?"

She glanced down at her left shoulder. "It hurts... a lot."

"I think that's to be expected," the boy replied. "When I found you, it was completely out of place." He looked over her. "You also have a head injury. A pretty bad one, I'd say."

Frowning, she reached up, hesitant fingers finding the bandages wrapped around her head.

"You took a bad blow there." He looked down and she couldn't see his eyes anymore. "Say, do you know what exactly happened to you?"

She opened her mouth to reply – and there was a _flash_, a bright, rolling light, something shifting, and something golden and angry eyes – and as her temples throbbed she discovered that she could _not _remember what happened to her. There was nothing but a few scattered impressions that flickered and died like candles even as she tried to reach for them.

"I... I don't... remember..." she said softly, dropping her own gaze to her lap. Her eyes were suddenly large, almost startled that she couldn't recall anything.

"I see..." The boy hummed thoughtfully. "I understand. These kind of injuries can do that to you," he said, pointing at her head, "making you lose some of your memory. If I were to guess what happened, though..." He stared at her for a long while. "...I would say that you looked you had been dropped from a good height. Took the blow with your shoulder..."

Kazue took in each of the words carefully, considering each one of them carefully – trying to see if any one of them would trigger a response. A memory, a flicker, just _anything_.

It unsettled her when nothing came.

"Although..." Something flashed within the boy's eyes, and his face became more solemn. "Maybe it's best that you really don't remember what happened..."

And in the distance, nightmarish screams began to erupt from Sei'an City's interior.

* * *

><p>It wasn't that Mizuki really <em>meant <em>to be inattentive. Honestly, she knew how important it was to be quiet, sit still, and above all listen to someone when they were talking to her. She didn't _mean _to be distracted by the birds that always seemed to be circling endlessly above her when her mother was talking to her, or to occasionally daydream while her father tried to teach her how to write.

It was just so hard to pay attention when she already _knew _of it. Kaiya and Shiori had already taught her to read well enough, and she even knew how to put numbers together a bit.

She didn't really mean to be like this. She just wanted to be a good girl and be normal like her mother and father wanted her to be. She really _tried. _But she was always so _bored. _

At least she _played_ a lot like the other kids did. As her mother told her she leave their small hut, Mizuki looked forward to the time she had outside before she'd have to come back inside and her mother would once again try to push her lessons on her. As soon as her mother would give her the okay, she would cut loose for the trails.

Mizuki might have played _like _the other kids, but still not the same. Most of the other kids in the village shied away from playing with her; she was different from them, and even if they _were_ young and silly and naïve, they could still sense it somehow. Mizuki liked to play games that had goals and rules and other things that were just a little too complex for the other children her age. What _they_ wanted to play involved little more than finding out how many different ways you could roll down a hill, or discovering who could get a hold of the largest stick.

So, like most other days, Mizuki played by herself. Sometimes she could busy herself collecting fruit for Mrs. Orange's delicious pies. Other times she would have to content herself with climbing as high as she could in the old Konohana tree – often alarming Kaiya when she would accompany her, who didn't think that little girls her age should go that high.

This morning, Mrs. Orange didn't need any help and she didn't feel much like climbing, so she wandered out through the exit of the village, beginning to walk down the path that led to Shinshu Field. It was much quieter there and the sun still wasn't very high in the sky; she could hear the soft calls of the birds over the more-distant shrieks and laughter from the other early-rising children in Kamiki.

There was a large ant-hill near one of the trees at the end of the path, and she lingered there for a moment, squatting down to observe the scurrying little black workers. She always found them interesting, always doing things – carrying bits of food, smaller dead bugs, pieces of leaves and dirt, going about looking for things to eat and lugging them back home with them.

There were many different kids of ants, she knew, even in one tiny nest; they all had different jobs, just like a tiny city. Kaiya told her that the ants had a queen, somewhere down in the ground, just like Nippon had a queen of its own.

A few steps away from the ant-hill, she spotted a large, shiny insect that caught her eye. It was nearly the size of her thumb, with a brilliantly bright backside, but she couldn't tell what kind of bug it was. It looked like it could have been some sort of beetle; it was certainly large enough and had very long feelers. Shiori would probably know what it was – Shiori knew _everything. _

Maybe she could catch it, and bring it back to Kamiki Village – it wouldn't really take her that long...

"Mizuki?"

Mizuki looked up from her intent study of the beetle-bug-thing in question, glancing around for the source of the voice that had called out to her. She was a bit startled when she noticed the speaker; standing a bit behind her was an older girl with long white hair and light brown eyes, looking down at her with a small, strange smile on her face that made her frown at the older girl in confusion.

"How'd you know my name?" she asked, standing up to her full height, being careful not to step on the beetle. "I'm not supposed to talk to people I don't know. You're not from the village."

"My, my, such a shrewd little girl," the older girl muttered, her smile quirking up at one corner. "But I know a lot of things about you, Mizuki. My name is Airi, and I used to be very good friends with Kaiya."

"Kaiya's friend?" she repeated. Now she was puzzled. After all, friends were different from strangers – even friends of friends. But she'd never met this strange girl before, and she wasn't sure that she liked that smile. "How come you used to be?"

"I had to go away for a while," the strange girl explained softly, her honey eyes softening as Mizuki's frown began to fade into cautious curiosity and thoughtfulness – an expression she knew all too well, but the eyes that accompanied this expression were not red, but instead a deep brown. "You look just like your sister..." she caught herself whispering.

Hearing mention of her sister made Mizuki's eyebrows pop up in surprise."You know Kazue, too?"

The stranger's smile cracked slightly. "Yes, I do. I know a lot about your sister and her friends." _Much more than you, anyway..._

"You know mama?"

"Yes, I've met your mother as well..." she lied. _And I'm sorry that I don't have enough time to do this gently... Really. _"Mizuki, I need you to come with me for a bit."

Instant hesitation. The little girl took a step back, all her previous wariness returning tenfold. "Go with you? Away from the village?"

"It's very important, Mizuki," Airi persisted, taking a step forward so that the smaller girl wouldn't get too far away from her – and besides that, she didn't have any time to waste; if someone spotted her or if she took too long... "I need your help."

"But I-I don't _know_ you." Mizuki was shaking her head rapidly. "Mama didn't say I could!"

"We can't get your mama's permission with this," Airi told her, frowning. "I need you to understand, Mizuki – something is going to happen very soon, and it will be very bad for you and for everyone you know unless you come with me right now. If you wait until it happens, something may come and... and hurt you. Do you know what that means?"

Looking frightened – but amazingly, still not panicking or crying – Mizuki nodded. "Take me away from mama... somewhere I don't want to go. Airi... are _you_ going to hurt me?"

"No." _So don't make me. Come on, Mizuki, if you're as smart as you're supposed to be... please understand what I'm talking about – I __**know**__ you can. You have to come with me! _"Listen to me, Mizuki," she began, fixing the child's gaze with her own. "This is very important; more important than anything you've ever done before. Your sister is in trouble–" Mizuki let out a small gasp. "–and I need your help to save her. If you don't come with me right now, something could happen to you, and then I won't be able to help your sister from someone very bad."

"Kazue's in trouble...?" The little girl took a shaky breath, brows low and worried eyes. "What bad person?"

"Someone horrible." _One more second... just a bit more convincing... _Airi measured the distance between herself and the smaller girl, should she have to make the decision for her. "Mizuki, come with me. Please?"

Mizuki looked up at her, her chocolate-eyed stare strangely piercing – thoughtful and measuring – and locked her eyes with Airi's own honey ones, all but freezing her in her tracks. She only glanced away once, at the shiny beetle that was now skittering away into the deeper grass. "I want to help–"

"_Mizuki!" _

"Oops," Mizuki muttered, more to herself than to Airi, eyes going back towards the ground. "There's Mama now. I have to go tell her–"

"I think she'll understand if you don't, just this once," Airi chuckled, grabbing the little girl by the back of her kimono.

"_Mama!" _Mizuki screamed as she felt herself being lifted off the ground. She was pushed against Airi's chest, muffling her voice. _"Mama, help me!" _

The soft chirping of the birds, a mother's anguished screams, and a child trying desperately to fight against her captor were the only sounds that were heard in the village that morning, even as darkness began to gather and swirl on the horizon.

* * *

><p>Airi dashed through the halls of the Inari's Quarters, making a beeline for her destination – and she probably could have been traveling much faster had she been in her fox form, but the precious bundle that she carried was far too valuable to risk dropping.<p>

In the more public sections of the vast building, she had passed many kitsune – all of them much more powerful than herself, all of them in their fox forms, all of them having eight or nine tails – foes she couldn't hope to go against on her own. But where she ran now, in the back halls of Inari's chamber, there was no one – so very few kitsune were given the honor of stepping a paw within these passageways.

She skidded to a quick stop at the end of a darker hall way, just in front of a particularly ornate pair of doors – and they were quite large, too, requiring a good deal of her strength to slide it open. When she had created a small enough gap for her to fit through, she squeezed into the brightly lit interior, quickly composing herself and straightening out her kimono.

"Great Lady, I have come!"

At the far side of the chamber, shrouded in darkness, something massive stirred. The sound of low, deep breaths echoed through the large room, heavy footsteps making a slow, four-beat rhythm on the floor. A monstrous shadow could be seen at the very edge of the light, bright amber eyes reflecting the illumination of the single dim lamp.

Suddenly, the shadow shifted, shrinking. The huge shape – which dwarfed the largest of demons – slowly dwindled down to the size of a mere man, taking the form of a human being. And when the transformation was finally complete, the shadow stepped forward into the light.

Her eyes had not changed; they were still cold, ruthless, dangerous, burning pale yellow-amber and full of spite. But the figure that stood now illuminated was anything but threatening – a finely-dressed lady, very old, but her body would show no signs of it, with long, silky hair and a long, white, puffy tail curled primly around her feet.

She stood still, regarding the younger kitsune with cool welcome. "So you've returned, Airi."

Airi smiled warmly, happy and excited though she held her manner respectfully. "Yes, I have, and I have so much to tell you."

* * *

><p>"<em>Return to your homes immediately!" <em>thundered a powerful telepathic voice. _"All who resist shall not be spared!" _

"–what the hell is going on here?"

"–where is that voice coming from?"

"–running out!"

"I can't!"

With that announcement, an assembled group of demons began marching down the stone pathways, joining the others that had already taken to the streets. The remaining residents of Sei'an City began fleeing in all directions as the massive group of demons advanced towards them. People began running into random buildings out of desperation, and soon enough, doors were being slammed shut in people's faces.

"_All who disobey shall not be spared!"_

An old man, wheezing and gasping for air, tripped up on one of Sei'an City's chipped roads as he struggled to make it back to his home. He fell to the ground in a graceless heap, feeling a burning pain stem from his hip as he collapsed. Before he could even try to recover from the impact, he saw that a red imp had already caught up with him. The red-clothed demon seemed to almost be dazed, but the man could see clear murder in its yellow eyes.

"No..." he whispered, while he feebly attempted to crawl away from it. "Please, no–"

His pleading turned into agonized screams as the red demon tore into him without a second thought. Crimson blood splattered all over the ground, even as the other demons swiftly made their way past the grisly attack. Within a few seconds, nothing was left of the old man except for a bloody pile of meat and some shredded clothes.

General Michi Himura watched and grimaced as his troops mobilized all over the city, and listened to the confused cries and screams that were steadily filling the air. No one seemed to have any idea of what was going on, and things were not looking good. As it was, he was receiving news of chaos in Northern Ryoshima Coast as well, and it had only been a few minutes since the swirling vortex had appeared. Hopefully, the Tao Troopers were fairing better against the attack in the north.

Of course, it certainly didn't help that a significant number of his forces had already been killed by the strange demons that came from the swirling phenomenon.

"Get those–" he began, only to be cut off as something swiftly appeared in front of him. "...Now what?"

"I think it's time for you to take your leave, general," came the chillingly unfamiliar voice. The owner, a red-haired individual standing in front of him, laughed, the eight tails that sprouted from behind him moving with him. Michi narrowed his eyes and gripped his sword tighter.

_A kitsune? _

"Who are you?" he demanded. "Are you the cause of all this?"

"The times are changing," the kitsune cackled, as Michi heard a sickening crunch. His eyes instantly moved in the direction of the sound and saw one of his own soldiers being held up by the neck. In a moment, the soldier's body went limp and the red-haired man simply dropped him, shrugging casually. "That's what will happen to you, if you continue to resist the changes I'm going to bring. I'll let you live if you align yourself with me."

By the time Michi could blink, the strange man was gone – all that remained around him was the remains of his soldiers. Most had died with their necks being snapped, but for some, their bodies had been quite literally ripped apart.

Soon enough, the morning was filled with the nightmarish screams of those souls who never did manage to make it home on time. No one who was on the streets was spared – the groups of demons made sure to that. A couple people tried to battle their way out of being killed, but the result was the same either way.

The changes were beginning to come to effect.

* * *

><p><strong>AN **;; Oh, yes, there are some characters' names mentioned in this chapter that will become important for the two companion/spin-off stories that will come along with Desterrado. Guess which ones? (It's obvious, but still...)


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